Thirty Days of Luna
by Hades'Queen
Summary: They were so different, but she was just perfect for him. Response to 30 Drabbles 30 days Challenge from 'the radio static'. Snape/Luna centered, mostly post DH. Rated for language and just in case.
1. Doesn't Remind Me

**Disclaimer:** The world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling as I'd expect anyone reading this to know, if you don't SHAME on YOU. Also this story is in response to _the radio stati_c's '30 Drabbles in 30 Days Challenge'.

**Authors Note: **As stated above, this story is in response to a challenge. Anyway story will center around Snape/Luna pairing, mostly from Snape's POV though the story is third person. I haven't yet decided if this will be one story or a series of One-shots, but most likely every chapter will be the part of the same story. If it changes at any point I will inform you.

**Summary:** They were so different, but she was just perfect for him. Response to 30 Drabbles 30 days Challenge from 'the radio static'. Snape/Luna centered, mostly post DH. Rated for language and just in case.

**Thirty Days of Luna**

_May 5, 2011's Prompt:_ Sapphire

_**I. Doesn't Remind Me**_

To Severus Snape, life was one long and painful reminder that he was a giant failure. In his yet short life, he had made many blunders. Great blunders, of which he was constantly reminded every second of his adult life that he was paying for dearly.

Absolutely everything was a reminder that inadvertently he killed the woman that he most loved, most especially staring into those emerald eyes that her son damnably inherited. He supposed that it didn't help either that for the most part, he lived in a castle where he had spent a greater part of his acquaintance with her in. Only by walking through the halls, shadows od the past seemed to flash before his eyes, and he could see the red-head girl passing through the hall with a smile on her face and books clutched to her chest.

However, there was one thing that didn't remind him of Lily and all that her death entailed. There was one thing, or rather person, that didn't remind him of absolutely anything. One person, that he could almost look on with relief, because she was like nothing he had ever seen before or would ever see. Blissfully, she had eyes like Sapphires, instead of Emeralds. Her name, is Luna Lovegood.

The first time he set his eyes on Luna Lovegood, was during her first Potions lesson, being as he had missed that years sorting as he had been dealing with Potter at the time. However, nothing would have prepared him fro that first meeting. Though it was not quite as memorable, as far as Luna incidents went, Severus could still well remembered that day, even many years later.

As usual, he'd started the class with roll call, a usually boring and tedious task, but a necessary one nonetheless. When he got to her name on e the list and looked up, he was rather annoyed to find that no one had raised their hands. "Lovegood, Luna," he called a second time, his eyes dating through the many first years before him. Once more, he got nothing.

He was getting prepared to move on, when he noted that many Ravenclaws were looking at the same person. Narrowing his eyes, he saw a pale girl with wispy, pale-blonde hair sitting straight on her stool and staring up at the ceiling.

The girl was a Ravenclaw and he knew that he hadn't called her name yet. Noting that she was oblivious to her surroundings, he strode over to stand before her. Upon coming closer, he realized that she was humming what had to be the most inharmonious melody he'd ever heard. "You! Girl, what's your name," he barked at her from where he stood before her.

Her eyes snapped to him and Severus wasn't sure if he had shocked the hello out of her, or if that was her permanent expression. However, the color of her eyes shocked _him_. Even in the dungeons, they looked like twinkling sapphires.

"Luna," she replied in a sing-songy voice, that somehow managed to come off impatient at that particular moment. Before Severus even realized she had answered him and became extremely vexed by finding she had been who he had been calling for previous, she was talking once more. "Professor, are you aware there is a strong possibility that mimblykites, like dark and dank dwellings because they dwell in the shadows?"

"Mimbly- what?" he asked confused and wondering if she was having him on.

"I Inform you of this because the only way to counteract them is with cacophonous humming," she stated sagely, nodding her head very seriously. Many of her neighbors near by snickered while others were just looking on perplexed as Severus felt.

"Miss Lovegood... why are you not wearing shoes!" Severus said. He'd meant to tell her off for speaking such nonsense and wasting his time, when he looked down and became distracted by the fact that she was not wearing any shoes.

In response, Luna momentarily swung her feet and looked down at them. Being as she was eleven and a bit petite at that, her feet did not reach the floor and had previously been resting on one of the rungs of the stool. "I couldn't find them this morning."

"Did you misplace them? Where did you leave them last?"

"My feet," she replied, to which a few snickered and Severus just glared at her wondering if she was simply being a smart-ass. However, she rather seriously went on, "I sleep with my shoes on, when I go to sleep. I sleepwalk."

At that point, Severus had pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what to do. He wasn't sure why, but at the time, he had simply decided to walk away and continue with roll call. He had already wasted too much time with the Lovegood girl and he'd felt he had more than enough of dealing with her already to last a lifetime.

From that point on, every second that somehow or other involved Luna Lovegood, only served to prove that she was extremely strange. However, he found her oddly refreshing. Though she appeared insane and the things she said were often stupid to him, she took him out of the mundane and provided vast moments of relief from his own head.

It took him a long time to see past her appearance, and akwardness, and the often times absurd things she said and believed to see that she was rather a beautiful person.

She was innocent, but not at all naïve. While she was young, he found she was also wise. There was a kindness he saw in her, that many others seemed to overlook because she was so bizarre. He soon found she was not only strong, but brave and that she was worth more than all the sapphires in the world put together.

**TBC..**


	2. Just a Feeling

_May 6, 2011 Prompt: 'Love? What do I know about love?'_

_**II. Just a Feeling**_

"Love? What do_ I _know about love?" Luna asked, looking up as though she would find the answer to that on the ceiling. Severus had asked her to remain after class to talk to her about the nonsense she'd written on it. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much. After being her professor for five years, he'd more or less learned to disregard many of her odd antics. However, this particular message on her most recent essay niggled him. "Well it's a feeling that people use to describe a deep caring-"

"I know what the word means!" Severus snapped, slamming his hand down on his desk as he stood and leaned over it, glaring at the girl before him. Severus picked up the essay that made his skin prickle and motioned to the message she had scribbled into the margins. Severus shook his head, thinking he was going entirely the wrong way about this before. "What I fail to see is how this has anything to do with the essay I set."

_His laugh tickles me._

_His hand hugs mine own closely._

_And his eyes love me._

"Oh, that's a haiku and has nothing to do with the essay, but I was inspired and it was the only sheet I had on hand," Luna said airily with a shrug, after leaning in to see hat he was referring to. She then turned her gaze back to the ceiling and a pondering look came over her face. "To me love is a feeling, a warm one, but just that, which stands for deep affection and caring. Its universal, but also unique to each individual in the way they feel it, or express it, and how long it lasts."

Severus was confused for a second until he realized that she was responding to his earlier question and he grimaced. Even though he'd had five years to get used to her, he wasn't, and he wasn't sure he ever would be.

Sitting down, he ran a hand through his greasy hair, wondering why he'd even bothered. He'd given up doing this in her first year, as no matter how many dismal grades he gave her on her essays, she did not amend them in any way. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried to breath deeply to calm himself. He didn't know what was the matter to him, why that simple haiku which should mean nothing at all, bothered him so much.

But then, he remembered Slughorn's partyn The night had been full of unpleasant surprises. The first, was seeing Luna there. He hadn't expected Luna to be there at all. The second was who she happened to be accompanying. It just had to be _him_, didn't it? Bloody Potter.

He supposed it really shouldn't bother him. After all he'd been made aware the previous year that the girl and Potter were more or less acquainted and friends, as she had gone with him to the Ministry. However, this was different. She was accompanying him to a function, more or less as his date. And when he'd seen the boy holding her hand, he felt the entire contents of his stomach churning at the mere sight of it.

He'd grown to think of Luna, more or less, as a safe haven to him from his thoughts. She distracted him from his life as a Professor, as an ex- Death Eater. And more than anything from the fact Lily had existed, broken his heart, and died because of him.

Why in the hell did she have to become friends with Potter? Why was it Potter of all people who happened to take notice of her and almost appreciate her, eccentricities and all?

"And yourself Professor?"

"Excuse me?" he snapped, looking up at her. He'd almost forgotten that she was there as he'd got lost in his thoughts. The way he found her large, protuberant eyes trained on him made him feel slightly uneasy. Sometimes he felt that Luna saw more than anyone in the world with those large and misty eyes of hers. In a way that not even he could achieve with his knowledge of Legillimency.

"What do you know of love?" she asked, benignly curious.

"That is none of your concern!"

"But I thought we were having a philosophical discussion about love," Luna said, her extremely pale brows furrowing in confusion. Severus grimaced.

"What could possibly make you think that?"

"Well you asked me earlier," she said with a shrug as if that explained everything. "Or did you want to give me tips on my haiku. It was my first attempt, I don't think it was very good."

Severus wanted to slam his head onto his desk at that moment. Why did discussions with her always make _him_ feel like the imbecile? "No, Miss Lovegood. I asked you, to tell you that this is not appropriate material to put on your essays, I for one do not care to know who you are enamored with. In the future please refrain from putting it on-"

"Enamored?"

"Yes, Miss Lovegood, the act of being in love with someone," Severus bit out scathingly.

"Well I know what I means, but its a term to me that seems to limit love-"

"That is beside the point!"

"Well I just don't know what point your trying to make," Luna said with a sigh. "And I've really had to go to the washroom since before class finished. I think my monthlies may have started."

Severus blanched at this. "Miss Lovegood, I really did not need to know that. You should have said so earlier. You're dismissed Miss Lovegood."

Luna merely shrugged and skipped out of the classroom at that, leaving Severus behind rubbing his temple wondering what in the hell had just happened. Dealing with Luna for somewhat lengthy periods of time somehow always made him feel so disoriented.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Please Review!


	3. Writing On the Wall

**Disclaimer: **The quote, I'm sure you'll know which, is by Dom Helder Camera.

_May 7, 2011 Prompt: Hundred(s)_

_**III. Writing On the Wall**_

He'd told her, literally hundreds of times, to no break curfew. Though he felt a sort of sense of pride, that no matter what she would not bend to the tyranny, it pained him to see her when she was caught by the Carrows and he had not been able to save her. It physically burt to see her face bruised, or her lip busted, or when she limped, or held an appendage gingerly. And yet, somehow she still managed to skip through the halls, or smile.

More astoundingly, she smiled at him.

Severus wasn't sure why she did that. No one else had ever done so, and that was before he was seen as the reviled murdered of Albus Dumbledore. However, the girl did not seem to take this at all into account.

Tonight he'd been patrolling the halls, it was something he did every night, though he doubted the Carrows or many others were aware of this. Though, he suspected that Minerva knew, but for all she knew she probably thought that he only did it to catch and punish as many students at he could. She wouldn't be far off, but his intentions were more benevolent than he supposed that she would ever believe.

He hoped that this night, would be one of those nights, where he didn't catch any students. However, those were very few. Almost none. Members of the DA seemed to be at it nightly, to continue to prove that their presence and that it would not go away easily. Severus lost hope of not having to deal with any rule breakers, when he came across some graffiti.

Typically, Severus didn't pause to look at the graffiti. They were always the same, or derivative of the same.

_'DA- Still recruiting members'_

_'Dumbledore- Never forgotten.'_

However, this time he did. Severus paused and stared for a moment at the stretch of wall, covered in blue, white, gold and purple paint. This was more than just words, this particular rule-breaker and painted fancy swirls in gold, and what looked like white and purple flowers all around the painting. In the moonlight, to Severus it looked like art, not just mere graffiti.

'_When we are dreaming alone, it is only a dream. When we dream with others, it is the beginning of reality.' _Were the words written on the wall with deep blue painting. Severus was sure that without knowing the handwriting so well of that person, that he would have known who was responsible by the words alone. There was only one DA member he knew that would write something so wise and inspiring.

Severus felt his heart pounding hard in his chest as he walked away. He didn't have the heart to erase such beauty, but he didn't have time to do it anyway. He felt the need to find Luna, before she was caught by either of the Carrows.

He didn't have to wander far, before he came across the Lovegood girl, sitting on a large windowsill, and staring out the window. She was curled up in herself, so that she looked much smaller than she was and as she was wearing her school cloak around her, she almost disappeared into the shadows.

"Miss Lovegood, you are out past curfew again, are you incapable of following the rules?" Severus asked in a low and yet stern voice. The girl did not even respond to him, and was not startled at all by his approach. She merely continued to sit and stare out the window.

"Did the dream-snatchers wake you too?" Luna murmured, huddling in closer around her knees, as though she were cold. Severus wasn't sure why, but she looked so small.

"Miss Lovegood, you should be in bed. You're breaking curfew."

"I'm composing a new Haiku," Luna murmured in her yet sing-songy voice, ignoring his comment.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Of course Headmaster, I thought we were playing a game of having disjointed conversations while speaking to each other," Luna replied, turning to look at him and smiling slightly. "Although, your chosen conversation seems rather pointless to me, I don't know why you insist on having it time and time again," Luna said, shaking her head like she was speaking to a child that did not understand that no means no.

Severus felt the heat rising in his cheeks. "Because you don't seem to understand that breaking curfew is a punishable offense."

"But I do understand that. I'm simply choosing not to obey and take my punishments as they come," Luna replied benevolently and almost sweetly. "And now you will lecture me for several minutes even though you know as well as I, that I will break the rules again, and assign me a benign detention and send me to bed. I thought we could skip the tedious process and have a conversation that actually means something and isn't a waste of our time."

"Benign detention?" Severus asked, feeling his stomach tightening. Although, grudgingly he admitted the girl rather did have a point. Why did he keep bothering with the lecture? Had anything he'd done in the past stop her form doing her essays in her own way? It didn't. She went on doing things in her Luna-way.

"You shouldn't worry, no one else has seemed to notice. They see what they want to see," Luna said, before suddenly yawning and stretching as she stood. Severus stared at her in slight fear. Was she hinting that she knew he was playing a part? Had she found him out? Had he been that obvious? "I'm so sleepy. So whats my detention? An outing with Hagrid into the forest? That would be nice, I haven't been able to visit the Thestrals lately."

Severus merely continued to stare at her, breathing in deeply, trying to remain calm while he wondered what he was supposed to do. It seemed pretty clear the girl had found him out. What was he supposed to do about it? What if she told someone? However, that thought almost made him laugh. Who would really believe her, most people still called her Loony and to make matters even simpler, everyone HATED him.

Severus jumped when something small and pointy jab his hand and gave him a small static shock. Looking down he watched as Luna retracted her hand. He looked up to find she was staring at him with her eyes widened even more and to her smiling largely at him. "Did you feel that? Our spirits resonated for an instance!"

Severus furrowed his brow. "It was just a static shock," Severus replied, though he flustered nonetheless wondering why she would have been so pleased if they had resonated at all.

Luna suddenly shook her head again at him, and gave him that look one gives a child when they are mildly exasperated at them. Severus scowled deeply at her at this. He was no child, certainly not as he was much older than the girl before him. "Get to bed Miss Lovegood!" He snapped, pointing down a hall.

Luna merely shrugged and started skipping along the hall to her dorm. As he watched her go, he pinched the bridge of his nose. He suddenly felt so exhausted.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Please leave a review and tell me what you think!


	4. Waking

_May 8, 2011 Prompt: Sunshine_

_**IV. Waking**_

Waking, to Severus, had always made him feel disjointed from the world and his life, and everything but the aches of his body. It always took several moments for complete and utter consciousness to seep into his brain and for him to recall who he was, and everything he had been through. Once it seeped in, he felt a different ache, deep inside him, that made him wish to sleep and never wake again. But his responsibilities started pressing on him before he could indulge in his brief desire, and groaning he got to his feet.

This morning, Severus was blinded by a shaft of light. It pained his eyes so much that he was momentarily distracted by the aches of his body. A shadow casting over him momentarily relieved his eyes enough that he could begin blinking them open. With a groan, he struggled to remember why he felt so awful and he wondered where he was.

His gaze was bleary for a moment, and his eyes seemed to land upon a ray of pure sunshine. He thought for a moment that he was staring at an angel. That is until he realized said angels, increasingly defined features were very familiar to him and that if he were dead, he probably wouldn't be in so much pain.

Severus closed his eyes, groaning deeply at the pain that he felt all over him. Belatedly, he wondered where he was, and what had happened. Until he remembered Voldemort sicking his snake on him. Severus' eyes snapped open again as his heart started beating hard.

"It's all right, Professor Snape," he heard that renowned sing-song voice say as a warm and small hand was pressed to his chest and keeping him down. Severus looked to the person hovering over him and almost gasped. Luna Lovegood was there, her hair framing her on their side and the sun behind her which she blocked, creating a halo effect around her head. "You're safe, but you shouldn't get excited, you're still very weak.

Severus merely looked into Luna's reassuring blue eyes, looking down at him calmly. "Where am I?" he croaked, his throat felt terribly tight and try. And his throat rather hurt painfully.

"In St. Mungo's. They've been treating you for weeks. It's rather a show of your strength that you were at all alive when they found you," Luna replied bluntly, something most would have probably neglected mentioning. "I thought you might want to see a friendly face when you woke up."

Unknowingly, Severus hand gripped Luna's with astounding strength, enough to bruise. "What about the Dark Lord?" He asked, not really caring about all the other things that Luna had mentioned. If Luna was pained or had noticed it at all that he was even touching her.

"I should tell someone you're awake," Luna said absently. "Have to visit George and see how he's doing," she said with a slight frown as she nodded her bead. She then turned to Professor Snape and pried his fingers from her arm as though that were the most natuarly thing in the world. "Harry would also like to see you," she said as she stood, before turning and bouncing out of the room before Severus could think of anything to say.

He sighed in exasperation, though he supposed he at least now new that Harry Potter was fine. That had to be a good sign, didn't it?

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please review!**


	5. Bruised

**A/n: **Would have put this up earlier, but for some reason wouldn't let me upload my documents. It was frustrating.

_May 9, 2011 Prompt: Moonlight_

_**V. Bruised**_

Severus lay back and stared at the darkened room he was in. Due to the fact that he was rather infamous, they had thought it best that they give him his own room. Severus would have been more inclined to be happy about this, if it weren't for the fact that he felt rather bored and was left alone with nothing but his thoughts.

The visit from Potter had not been particularly pleasant, though he was rather relieved to see that the boy was alive and unharmed; not due to any actual feeling towards the boy but because of the promise he had made to Lily about keeping him safe.

While the conversation was short and rather civil for them, it was still a bit unpleasant and just generally uncomfortable. Potter had awkwardly greeted him and then proceeded to thank him for all that he had done for... well he didn't say himself, but he seemed unwilling to mention his mother. Severus was grateful that the boy was at least smart enough to know that it was a topic that Severus didn't particularly want to touch with him.

In fact, Severus didn't say very much during the interview. He listened to Potter tell him how it had all ended before once more thanking him and saying goodbye before leaving. In fact, Severus was quite sure he'd said nothing at all through the whole thing, and perhaps made the boy feel even more embarrassed than he was before coming in. But Severus wasn't really concerned about how he affected the boy.

Once Potter was gone, Severus had been unable to do anything. It seemed so strange to think that the world was finally rid of the Dark Lord for good. Severus felt that he ought to be happy, but he wasn't. He just felt empty.

It had simply taken so much for this day to finally come, and many sacrifices. Severus, considering his role in the war; he was perhaps the person who knew best how much this war had cost. He had been there to see many people die, insignificantly, because there was nothing he could do to save them. Their many faces plagued his more than Albus and Lily.

Lily. The name started ringing in his head now. Not that it ever seemed to stop.

Severus closed his eyes. Sometimes he wished it would just stop, that all his past would just go away and disappear. Maybe then he could be happy, even if it was just a moment, even if it were illusory.

His eyes snapped open then as the door of his room suddenly opened. Severus furrowed his brow and tried to see the figure that had just stepped into his room, but the door was hidden in shadows and as the only light he could see came from the moon at the moment, he could not make out who it was. It wasn't until the person had stepped in the moonlight, that he could finally make out Luna Lovegood.

"What are you doing here?" he croaked. His voice had still not gotten used to being used after three weeks of not being used at all. "Visiting hours are finished, how did you-"

"Harry arranged for me to be able to come whenever I want, he has a lot of influence at the moment," Luna replied with a shrug of her thin shoulders, as she sat on one side of his bed. Severus struggled to wriggle away from her. Something Luna watched with a small smile. "I won't bite." Severus chose to ignore this.

"Why are you here?" he asked, staring over at her with a grimace. In the moonlight, she looked rather pale, and her hair almost looked like silver. Her eyes were lit like oceans, that seemed to wish to engulf him as she stared at him, with that lunatic smile of hers. Belatedly, he thought that while the moonlight suited her, that sunlight suited her more.

"Nothing will ever change you, will it?" she asked, with a smile as she shook her head. "I imagined you wouldn't be able to sleep and would like some company," she said, looking down and picking at her summer dress. Severus could see more of her pale legs than he was really comfortable in seeing. Instead, he turned his gaze to her arm, and chose not to argue with the girl. Even if he didn't particularly want her company, he knew that it would be utterly futile to get her to leave unless that was what she wanted to do. There was no coercing or ordering Luna to do anything that she didn't want to do.

"I heard the Healer's say that they won't be letting you go for a couple weeks more, although they'd let you leave sooner if there was someone to look out for you at home," Luna said, while absently brushing her skirt, even though there wasn't anything on it. Severus however, was not about to mention this, as he was sure he would get just a nonsensical reply about some creature that didn't exist.

However, as he watched, he noted that there was a rather large and greyish print on her left arm. "Did I do that earlier?" he asked, frowning.

Luna looked to her arm and held it up for inspection. "I suppose you did," Luna replied, causing him to flinch. However, she was paying him no mind as she started to poke at her arm. She started humming as she continued to prod at her bruise and looked up absently, staring at the wall.

Severus closed his eyes and sunk deeper into his pillows. It was the end of June, but he completely forgot it was summer at all. The entire hospital had a very powerful cooling charm set in all the wards, so that the heat of summer never reached its patients. Severus wasn't sure if he was thankful for this or not. Maybe it would have been nice to feel the summer breeze. He felt as though he had already spend most of his life in the cold.

"Why aren't you home? Sleeping?" Severus asked.

"The Death Eaters blew up my home, its in need of significant repair, and daddy is in the Spell Damage floor. He was left rather damaged by the Death Eaters," Luna replied, sounding as aloof as ever, though her eyes were glossy.

"Where are you staying then?" Severus asked with a concerned frown.

"The Weasley's have been kind enough to let me stay with them. They sort of have a lot to deal with with Fred's loss and all, and they need the help. Harry and Hermione are also staying at the Burrow, I think they enjoy the work. The wars taken a lot from all of us," Luna replied sedately, all the while still poking at the bruise on her arm.

Severus had more than enough of that already and reached him hand out and closed it gently around the offending hand to make her stop. He held it firmly, mindful not to bruise her again and closed his eyes in relief, thankful she'd stopped. He wasn't sure why, but it bugged him. Though she was not wincing in pain from poking the bruise, he was sure it still hurt, if only marginally.

"It seems as though you've been busy," Severus commented, feeling suddenly so exhausted as he thought of Luna. He was sure she spent a lot of time with her father, and probably helping with mundane tasks in the Weasley home while the family grieved. Severus supposed that she spent a lot of time with George Weasley too, as she had mentioned him earlier. And still, here she was, also visiting him. How was she not exhausted? He was exhausted just thinking all the running around she must be doing.

"Everyone we know is. There is a lot of repairing and healing to do," Luna replied, as if what she was doing wasn't very much.

Severus opened his eyes and looked towards Luna once more. However, she was staring down at their joined hands. Severus looked down and wondered how he had not noticed when Luna had turned her hand, so that now their hands were cupped together, his hand between two of hers.

"Your hands remind me of different times," Luna stated nostalgically, now using the hand that covered his to run it over his skin delicately.

Severus wasn't sure what she was trying to say with that, or why he suddenly felt so uncomfortable. He pulled his hand from her grasp and shifted. When Luna looked up at him, her eyes seemed a bit sad. However, before Severus was sure, the sadness disappeared and she was looking away, staring out the window.

"You should go get some rest," Severus suddenly said, to which Luna made no reply. "I would like to rest," he stated, thinking this should make her go. When she turned and studied him with her large eyes, Severus was sure she knew he was lying, however, much to his surprise, she merely nodded and stood.

"Good night, Professor Snape."

Severus merely nodded his head as the door closed, leaving him once more in his empty, sterile room. Severus thought he'd be relieved once she was gone, but instead, he just felt empty again and he wondered why he had sent her away.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **As always please review and tell me what you think!


	6. Dreaming

_May 10, 2011 Prompt: Fiery-orange hair_

_**VI. Dreaming**_

Luna.

It had been days since he had seen her. Days he had spent, in bed with nothing to do but sleep, and think. And what was there to think of, but his life? A life he felt should already be over.

He actually started longing for Luna, and her batty presence, that made him forget everything. It was this thought that made him grimace and his stomach to tighten and twist unpleasantly.

It seemed to him, like he actually needed Luna. He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever felt that he _needed_ someone.

Had it been Dumbledore? He wasn't particularly sure. The man had guided him... but in the last couple years, Severus had despised him for it. He didn't like the way Dumbledore used him as a puppet, how he had manipulated him.

Dumbledore had once told him, that he thought sometimes that they sorted too soon. Severus had took that to mean that the man had felt that Severus ought to have been a Gryffindor. However, now he rather felt Dumbledore should have been in Slytherin. He was as manipulative, if not more so, than the Dark Lord.

No, Severus had not needed Dumbledore. The only time he'd ever needed the man, was when he first went to him, thinking that the man could save Lily. And he had failed him in that, hadn't he?

Before Dumbledore, was Lily. He'd needed her in a way that he'd never needed anyone else, not his parents and certainly not any of the other people that surrounded him. However, had that been real need?

Severus didn't think that was worth figuring out. He didn't want to think about Lily. Anymore than he wanted to consider Luna, and how she may possibly have somehow become indispensable to him. After all, needing someone only meant future disappointment, didn't it? In the end, the people he'd felt he needed failed him, and left him breathless and insuperably broke.

When he started to dream about her, he thought he was in trouble. He always woke with a sick feeling afterward. Not so much because of Luna, but because he dreamt of seeing her snogging someone. Someone who he couldn't see, but for the back of their shaggy head. Fiery-orange hair, to him it seemed. Maybe it was the obscure lighting.

Severus really tried not to think of the dreams, not knowing or wanting to know, what they could possibly mean. However, there wasn't much else did he did delight in thinking in.

They did give him a Daily Prophet almost Daily to entertain him, but he didn't delight in reading that anymore than anything else. The world still seemed to not have settled down. Luna was correct in saying there was a lot of repairing and healing for their world to do. As it was, he was made aware of the intense reconstructing that Hogwarts was undergoing.

Along with that, there was a long accounts of the battle, and the deaths that occurred during it. The Ministry, was struggling to right the wrongs of the last year, and give reparation to those who's lives had been most affected, the muggle-borns. Though, Severus wasn't sure how one went about doing such a thing.

As for the Death Eaters, many had been rounded up, and were in the process of being tried. Severus had been unpleasantly shocked when he'd read this his own trial had been carried out during his absence, and that he was let off being charged at all, thanks to Potter who had declared in his defense.

Luna hadn't been kidding when she said that Potter carried a lot of influence these days. Severus had wondered how long that would last. He assumed not very long, people had relatively short memories.

However, no matter how many Daily Prophets and ignored memories of his past, Severus mind always found its way back to Luna Lovegood.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Review!**


	7. Just Dandy

_May 11, 2011 Prompt: Marked_

_**VII. Just Dandy**_

A week after waking, the Healers allowed Severus to start walking around the Hospital. Severus would have wished to escape at this, the hospital was maddening, but he couldn't. They had his wand.

Severus didn't particularly like the idea of walking around in a hospital wing, but they had given him some hospital robes as well and they covered him a bit better. Also he really needed to get up and walk around. Tired though he still felt, he was getting restless and sick of being in bed. Lately all he really got up for was to use the washroom, or to pace minutes at a time in his room. A very small room at that.

Severus wasn't sure how long he had been walking around when he started slowing down even more because he was tired.

He had just turned, to head back to his room, he'd gotten halfway down the long corridor, when he suddenly stopped. Through the bustling of some Healers running back and forth, Severus spotted a lone and small figure bouncing its way towards him

As she neared, he could see more of Luna, and saw that once more she was wearing a light. It was yellow, with printed daisies, and seemed to have a very short hemline, which showed more of her pale legs that he felt appropriate due to her skipping.

At the observation, he grimaced and focused on her hair. Today it looked like she had braided it and was wearing a net decorated with something he could not quite see. "Good morning Professor Snape, you have more color on you!" she said, smiling at him brightly as she stopped before him. Severus felt his face twitch into more of a grimace at this as he was quite sure he was blushing and he hated doing so. "I've brought you flowers for your room," she said, holding up a fistful of dandelions.

In his head Severus corrected her thinking that those weren't flowers but rather weeds. Weeds that anyone could pick at the side of the rode, they were so common. However, he felt it oddly fitting. Besides, Severus wasn't one to disparage at getting dandelions instead of real flowers. After all he had little use for them, and dandelions had served him on the occasion for Potions.

"Thank you," he stared dryly and uncomfortably, taking the proffered gift. Luna merely nodded and stepped beside him, walking with him. Severus took the chance to note what decorated her hair net. In the past, he might have found it odd, that the girl had decorated with what looked like tiny, plastic plums. However, now he found this rather the norm.

"I let Mrs. Weasley braid my hair. She says its been years since Ginny's let her do anything with her hair," Luna said, as if she noted that he was staring at her hair. However, thats not what he'd been wondering about. Although, seeing her with her hair like that was a bit odd to him. It wasn't that he thought it looked well, but he was just suddenly aware that it exposed a lot of her neck. "Mrs. Weasley's starting to come around."

Severus didn't say anything to this. Personally he'd never been able to tell Fred and George Weasley apart in looks, or personality. He more or less thought them to be the same person. And if he caught one of them doing something, he punished the other as well, as he was sure they were both involved.

However, Severus didn't want to think of this. Nor did he want to think about the fact that he was... happy? Relieved? Just to see her again.

That is, until the moment that he spotted a blemish on her collarbone. For a moment, Severus thought it was just a shadow due to the lighting from the windows they passed. He narrowed his eyes on it, and noticed it was more like a bruise. A very small bruise.

ON her collarbone.

Some of his dreams suddenly flashed in his head, but now incorporated unpleasantly with the image of seeing someone nibbling on her collarbone.

Severus shook his head of this image, as his stomach twisted violently. "What are you doing here Miss Lovegood?" he murmured in his low tone that usually indicated he was feeling murderous. Unknowingly, his hands had clenched into fist, and he'd crushed the stems of the dandelions she'd given him.

"I came to visit you," she stated as though that were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Shouldn't you be visiting your father?" he asked, as he stopped at his room and rounded on her, glaring down at her. She was still so short. How had he forgotten that?

Luna frowned up at him. "He's asleep-"

"Then find someone else to pester!"

"That's not very polite," Luna pointed out, suddenly looking wary. "There are kinder ways of informing someone that their visit is not particularly wanted at the moment," Luna went on, looking slightly sad, but not showing so in her tones. "But I'm glad your better, Professor. Perhaps I'll see you again," she said kindly before turning and gliding away.

Severus sighed as he watched her go and ran a hand through his hair feeling like a bigger ass now, wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** As always review please!


	8. Apologize

_May 12, 2011 Prompt: Blissful_

_**VIII. Apologize**_

"Miss Lovegood I-" Severus started saying when he finally caught sight of her as she was on her way out from visiting her father. As he was not a relative, the Healers wouldn't let him in the ward to see him. Not that he'd wanted to at all. He thought that would be far too awkward, besides he didn't want to intrude on Luna's time with her father. So he'd merely taken to pacing around outside the ward until she came out.

"He doesn't recognize me," she said, interrupting him as she stared down at her feet. Severus frowned for a moment, wondering if she were talking about her father, and noting that she looked so tired.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Miss Lovegood I came to-"

"Sometimes he thinks I'm my mum, but most of the times he's confused, like he remembers me but not my name or how he knows me," she interrupted again, this time looking up. She looked unbearably sad, her eyes were red rimmed, but he saw no signs of actual crying. Rather she just looked extremely weary, and somehow older than she was, which couldn't be more than seventeen at the oldest.

"It must be hard," Severus said, looking away from her intense gaze. "However, I came because I wanted to-"

"I know, Professor," Luna interrupted him, making him look up.

"No you don't," he snapped, feeling irritated with her now. She kept interrupting him and wouldn't let him apologize, even though it pained him to do so, for his rude behavior towards her. Severus shoved aside the fact that normally he never apologized to anyone for anything, especially not for being rude. That was his thing. He was rude on purpose.

However, he felt he owed it to her to apologize for his behavior towards her. Because she was the only person that had showed him any kindness. The only person since Lily, who'd even bothered to be nice to him, even though he knew he didn't deserve it.

"I know you want to apologize, even though I imagine that for you its quite painful and humiliating. I was trying to spare you," Luna explained, looking up at him with the tiniest of smiles, before shrugging. "It's not necessary Professor Snape. I know its the only way you know to treat people, because its in defense to cruel way people have treated you most of your life. Its how you alienate them from you, so they don't get close enough to hurt you, or so that it doesn't feel that they're alienating you. I wouldn't have taken it personally, but I'd been hoping today would be better."

Severus felt his heart pain to look at her, and hear how understanding she was, and how tired she must be. It was like every word, was exhaled with great effort. Severus felt at a complete loss for words as he stared at her.

Her rubbing her eyes, however, made a question pop into his head and out of his mouth in an instant. "Are you all right to travel alone?" he asked trying to keep his concern from tinging his tone.

Luna merely shrugged and started making her way down the hall to the stairs. Severus followed her and for a moment was painfully reminded of when he used to follow Luna around. A blush started to tinge his cheeks at the analogy, and he was thankful that it was night and that the halls of the hospital at this hour were dimly lit.

"I haven't been sleeping well. Between doing chores, visiting my father, trying to salvage the Quibbler, and trying to be supportive of everyone, there's not much time to sleep," Luna mumbled, before yawning. "And Ron snores so loudly I can hear him in Ginny's room. And Hermione has night terrors, sometimes she wakes up screaming. I suppose its because what Draco's aunt did to her when they were caught."

Severus didn't know about that. Of course, he knew that Potter, Weasley and Granger had been caught by snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor. He was also aware that during their time there that Granger had bee picked to torture for a short period of time, before they managed to make their escape.

Severus wondered if Granger was having night terrors, if Luna was also damaged long term. After all, Luna had been a prisoner of Malfoy Manor for about three months. Severus knew this, because it had been a terrible time for him. He had warned Luna not to go home, but as always the girl was gonna do what she wanted to and there was no way to prevent it.

"Are you apparating?" Luna nodded to his question as they got to the stairs and began to descend. "You can't apparate in your present condition, Miss Lovegood."

"I don't have money for the Knight bus and walking is completely out of the question," Luna explained rationally, once more rubbing her eyes.

Severus watched her, worried about letting her apparate, tired as she was. However, he was aware how futile it was trying to talk her out or anything. He racked his brains as they continued to descend, every step bringing them closer to her destination.

When they reached the first floor, Severus wasn't sure what possessed him, maybe desperation as he reached out for her wrist. Before he could look at her face, or she could say anything he started quickly dragging her down the hall. He paced very quickly, each step making his breath quicken and sweat to spout on his brow as he unthinkingly dragged her to his room.

"You have to sleep, for a while, before you can apparate," he said, closing the door after dragging her inside. "You can sleep on the bed for a while-" Severus was saying as he turned and found that she was already laying in his bed, curled onto her left, with her eyes closed.

The expression on her face was almost... blissful.

Severus shut his mouth and clenched his teeth. He needed to. He felt dangerously close to smiling.

**TBC...**

**A/N: **As always please Review!


	9. When Waking

_May 13, 2011 Prompt: Groan_

_**IX. When Waking**_

When Severus awoke, it with is a deep and elongated groan. Before even opening his eyes to what he knew was the hospital room he'd been in for two weeks, he was aware of a kink in his neck, and that his back in general ached, and that inexplicably, he was sleeping on his side. He never slept on his side. He usually slept on his back, with both arms pinned at his sides.

Severus furrowed his brow at this, but refused to open his eyes. He felt tired, and he did not want to wake up. Also, he smelled something warm and extremely pleasant nearby. He feared it would go away, once he was fully awake.

However, his eyes snapped opened, startled, when he felt movement beside him. When his eyes opened, he was confused as to why there was someone sitting on one side of his bed. It took a moment for him to recall that he'd let Luna sleep on his bed, and took his eyes a bit to clear and realize that was her.

Severus furrowed his brow. He didn't remember falling asleep, much less falling asleep next to her. He felt his stomach knot itself. What if she thought-

However, whatever Luna was thinking had nothing to do with him as she was in the process of removing the net from her hair and unbraiding it. He watched apprehensively as she threaded her fingers through her hair, combing it out.

When she stood, Severus sat up stiffly. He supposed his movement somehow alerted her as she whirled around. "Oh... you're awake," she said, sounding slightly surprised. "I hope you slept well. Perhaps I'll see you later, but I have to go now, they might be worried that I stayed out all night." Luna said all the while walking towards the door and opening it while smiling. "Thanks so much for letting me lie down. See you Professor."

Ands he was gone, leaving Severus feeling so confused in her wake. Severus wondered if she was always in such a rush in the morning, or if it was just him.

He scoot over and fell back on his back, taking up most of the bed. He wondered how they'd both fit in such a small bed while simultaneously thinking that she was probably only rushing out of here fast as she could because of him.

However, before he had much of a chance to ponder it, he turned his head and smelled the pillow. It smelled of her shampoo, he realized. He wondered how long the scent would last. He hoped it would last a whatever time was left for him to be in the hospital.

**TBC...**

**A/N:** Please review, as always!


	10. Tempting

_May 14, 2011 Prompt: 'Why in the _world_ would you do _that_?"_

_**X. Tempting**_

They wouldn't let him go home.

That was all that Severus could think of after his daily visit from his Healer. Or rather the Healer put in charge of his recovery. And all because he was still having palpitations.

To Severus, this was absolutely absurd. He was a Potions Master. He was more than capable of going home himself and looking after himself. He was more than capable of making his own potions and ingesting them when needed for whatever it was that he needed. To him, palpitations did not seem enough reason for him to be kept in the hospital.

Surely when Arthur Weasley had been bitten, they didn't keep him in the hospital so long. However, he supposed that might have been because he had a wife at home to look after him. Not to mention two or three elder sons that could have looked after him if their mother needed to go out for some thing.

Severus thought that he would surely lose his mind if he stayed in the hospital longer.

He thought if may have been a bit ironic that at this point, someone tapped on his door, before poking their head in. Considering he only ever had one visitor, he wasn't surprised to see that it was Luna. Though perhaps he ought to have been surprised considering that when she'd left, he hadn't been sure she would come to see him again. She'd seemed in a mighty rush to get away from him.

"Good afternoon Professor," She said with a slight smile towards him as she slipped into the room and closed the door behind herself. Severus noted that her hair looked damp and was loose. Today she was wearing a turquoise skirt, with tangerine knee-high socks that matched her t-shirt, with a black vest that matched the sneakers on her feet.

Severus briefly wondered if he should feel offended that she was attacking his eyes in this ways. But instead he thought that at least she seemed to bring some life into his utterly bland surroundings. Besides, she wasn't anymore of an eye-sore than those lime-green robes the Healers wore. And she sort of seemed to match oddly. Like the colors she wore complimented each other. Belatedly, Severus wondered if Luna preferred skirts and dresses to jeans and shorts. He was rather sure he'd never seen her in any form of pants of shorts before.

"Miss Lovegood," he merely said as she walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. Once more, as usual, Severus wiggled away from her, as always feeling uncomfortable by her proximity. Luna didn't seem to take it personally. Or maybe she didn't even notice it.

"How are you today, Professor?"she asked conversationally.

Severus blinked at this wondering why she was asking now. It seemed a rather odd question to asked someone when you've woken with them earlier that day. Severus tried to keep form blushing as he suddenly scowled at her.

Seeing that he wasn't about to respond and noting that he was in one of his moods, Luna decided to ask another question. "It's a really nice day out, although its a bit humid. I think it will rain," Luna said. Severus furrowed a brow and looked out the window. It was extremely bright out. He didn't think it likely that it would rain. "You're really quiet today. Did the Humdingers get your tongue?" she asked, leaning into him and furrowing her brow. Severus looked at her as though she were about to pry his mouth open in search of his tongue. He didn't put it past her to do so at least.

"No," he stated, ignoring the fact that it was rather stupid to answer her question considering there was no such thing as Humdingers.

"Oh, well that's good. Tongues are very useful I've found," Luna said, pulling back from him. Severus wasn't sure why but his thoughts went to an extremely juvenile place at this statement from her. He shook his head and balled his fist angrily at himself at this. He looked away, knowing full well that he was blushing and once more wondering how Luna managed to unnerve him like this when no one else could.

"Is something bothering you?" she suddenly asked.

"They won't let me leave," Severus replied immediately, though he wasn't sure why. He supposed that it was just hanging on his tongue considering he was so pissed off it. He felt rather realized to actually be able to tell someone, though he knew it wouldn't help matters.

"Yes, I know," Luna said, causing Severus to look at her with a furrowed brow. That is until he remembered that she was there with him the day she woke, and she had told him about it. "If you'd like, I could sign your release form, saying I'd be responsible for you or rather be there in case you turn for the worse," Luna suggested, causing Severus to stare at her deeply. However, she was't looking at him. Her eyes were rather unfocused and her head was tilted as though she was thinking.

"Why in the _world_ would you do _that_?"

Luna shrugged. "They have my dad here, and I don't think its doing him any good. I think he'd be better at home, but they won't let him, because we're technically homeless at the moment," Luna replied, not sounding particularly emotional, but neither nonchalant about it. She had feelings, but Severus was unsure how to decipher them by her tone. "But I imagine for _you_ its harder being here."

"What makes you think they'd let _you_?" Severus said, ignoring her previous statement as he was unsure what he meant with that last part.

"I've been of age since March," she replied, shrugging. "I think thats all that will really matter to them. That and that I'm there for you in care you do relapse or something."

Severus didn't know why, but he was actually considering this. It didn't mean Luna would have to really be there for him, did it? It only mattered that the people of St. Mungos thought she'd be there. And it was sorely tempting, being home, being able to dress in real clothes and read whatever he wanted, eat, brew potions.

Severus sighed. Wearily, he nodded, merely hoping that he wasn't getting himself into something he wouldn't expect.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Sorry, this is a day late. Was really busy yesterday though. Anyway hope the chapter was enjoyable. Please Review!


	11. Home

_May 15, 2011 Prompt: Empty_

_**XI. Home**_

Considering all the paperwork that had to be done, Severus wasn't released until the following morning.

As the clothes that he was wearing were horribly stained with blood, which there was no washing free of, Severus had to wear something from the hospital. Robes that fit him well, but made of material that was very thin from so many washing. The robes were also a silvery gray. Not particularly his color.

Overall, he felt almost naked, especially when considering he was not wearing underwear. Though Severus knew that it was wizard tradition not to wear undergarments, he had never been comfortable with this. He supposed that was due to his part-muggle upbringing.

Severus supposed that at least he was relieved that he had gotten his wand back. As for his hair, being that he hadn't been able to get it cut in the last several weeks, it was past his shoulder and frayed at the bottom. This would probably make him less recognizable once out. He was sure that even though his name had been cleared that he would still be considered rather infamous.

Of course, Luna had to be there for his release. She showed up early, rather much to his surprise. Though she'd never been late to classes or anything, he imagined things like dates and times were not very much at the top of her concerns or things that were important. Yet there she had been, hanging about since even before he was released.

Severus wondered if perhaps that was just because she'd been there to visit her father, but he didn't think much about it. He was just glad that she was there and not delaying his opportunity to finally go home. Of wish he was as elated as he could be about anything. Which really wasn't all that much.

However, to his chagrin, she insisted on tagging along with him on his way home. Being that he was not yet a hundred percent, he couldn't well apparate home. He was obliged to take the Knight Bus and being that he didn't have money on him, he blushingly had to allow Luna to pay for them. He told her that he would pay her as soon as he could, though she didn't seem to care or be concerned about that.

Being a Professor, Hogwarts didn't pay very much. However, he'd been ore or less saving a bit of his salary every year.

Luna accompanied him to his door, at which she had smiled and told him she would see him before taking out her wand and apparating on the spot.

Severus didn't think very much of this, as he was rather relieved to be home. However, once he was inside, he felt rather empty. It seemed to strange to him to be back at Spinner's end after the last year to him.

The place of course hadn't changed. Severus wasn't sure why this surprised him. Somehow he'd thought the whole world would look like a different place to him once the Dark Lord had been defeated and gone for all time. However, Spinner's end never seemed to change.

Briefly, as Severus stood just before his closed front door, if that was because he never changed. He'd been living in Spinner's End most of his adult life. As soon a she had become a Professor. He lived in an exceedingly crappy neighborhood, on the wrong side of the river, in a place that he'd hater since childhood. And he'd done it all so he could be close to Lily, by being close to the place where they'd initially met, and at which point he remembered there friendship was at its least complicated.

However, it had never really been enough. It seemed absurd to think that that would change now.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Been having issues uploading docs. I do knot if its the site, or maybe my network being to slow, so I apologize for the delay of this and the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. As always please review and tell me your thoughts on the chapter.


	12. Temporary Housemate

_May 16, 2011 Prompt: Raving_

_**XII. A Temporary House-mate**_

If anyone else burst into his home, and settled there without invitation, Severus would have been raving mad. However, it seemed that if it were Luna Lovegood, he could forgive her. Maybe it was because of the way she chose to do it. Because somehow, her version of bursting in was rather comical.

Severus had been rather irritated when he heard someone knocking on his door. He really wasn't one for reviving visitors... ever, so when he did it never really boded well. He supposed that at least he was wearing his own clothes when he got his unexpected visitior.

When he opened the door and found Luna standing there, wearing the same clothes she had on two hours earlier, with a bag slung over her shoulder, he was shocked. "May I come in?" she asked, and considering Severus was still shellshocked he didn't say yes, but he didn't close the door on her face either, which he supposed could be constituted as a yes. At least in Luna's mind because she immediately walked into the room, slipping by him. Her front only faintly brushing into his side as she passed.

"Do you have a guest room I could stay in. Although if you don't I'd be perfectly fine settling on your couch, it would be like camping!" Luna said. By the time Severus mid caught up and he closed the door and turned to watch her, she had rested her bag and was inspecting the nearest shelf. "You have a lot of books. Have you read them all?" Luna asked, turning and looking at him with those big eyes, alight with interest and curiosity.

"Miss Lovegood, what are you doing here?"

"You know you could call me Luna, I think it would be less odd considering we'll be living together for a couple weeks. Miss Lovegood will be a bit of a mouthful too," Luna pointed out, completely ignoring his question. Or maybe answering it indirectly, Severus couldn't tell.

"What makes you think you'll be living here. I do not remember asking you to move in," Severus said, getting increasingly annoyed now after recovering from the initial shock.

Luna frowned a she looked at him with some concern. "Well seeing as you're kind of my responsibility I'd rather you not die on my watch," Luna replied. Severus stared at her blankly. "You said it was all right for me to sign your release form."

"Yes, but I was under the impression that-"

"Oh... well Professor Snape I don't mean to be rude, but it would be very irresponsible of me to not check in on you. And this seems most convenient. Otherwise I'd be making trips to St. Mungos and then here every day, and then have to go to sleep at the Burrow."

Severus sighed. It was a sigh he was starting to really hate. Because it usually meant that he was about to let Lovegood have her way. Something that seemed to happen increasingly often.

"I have a guest room you could stay in, Miss- Luna," he corrected grudgingly.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please Review!**


	13. A Kiss

_May 17, 2011 Prompt: Continually_

_**XIII. A Kiss**_

Luna cooked breakfast in the morning. It was rather decent. More decent than he would expect from a seventeen-year-old, even for a girl and even for one of his not-a-total-dunderhead potions-students. Severus wasn't sure why as he rather found that a decent Potions-maker didn't necessarily make for a good or sometimes even a decent cook, being as most potions tasted awful. Cooking rather needed for a good sense of taste.

"Good morning Professor Snape. How did you sleep?" She asked as she motioned for him to take a seat at the table. He'd furrowed his brow to see what she was doing in confusion, however, muttered a vague response as he did as she bid. Not long after he did, she walked over as if on air and set two small bowls in front of him. One of oatmeal and the other an assortment of berries. After which she walked away before bounding back over with a glass of juice and a platter of toast.

"Well thats good," she said as she stood before him, absently nibbling on a piece of toast.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Severus said, really rather wondering aloud more than meaning to ask her. She merely nodded. "That's hardly a hardy meal," he said in his best Professor tone. Though, he rather doubted it would have much affect on her. It never really had in school. However, he figured it was worth a try.

"I'm seventeen, its not going to kill me," she said with a shrug. "You make sure to eat all your breakfast, you're recovering," she said, wagging a finger before him, doing a surprisingly good impersonation of McGonagall at her most stern mother-hen.

"Are you going to visit your father then?" he asked, looking up at her. Luna nodded in response.

"I'll be back soon to check up on you again," Luna said before bending and placing a kiss on his cheek.

For a wild moment, Severus felt his heart stop and constrict. The shock of it literally knocked the air out of him. However, before he could look up or say anything, Luna had already fluttered out of the room. Not long after he heard the front door shut.

Severus sat back and struggled to regain his breathing and keep his heart from twittering like a mad bird inside his chest. Placing a hand over his heart, he closed his eyes and practiced his Occlumency.

Wildly, he wondered why Luna had done that! He wondered why it affected him so, that even now when she was gone, he could still feel her soft lips and their warmth on his cheek.

Trying to breath easily, he wondered how it was that Luna somehow, continually, always managed to do this to him. How did she upset his being so? And why did she do it? Did she know what she was doing to him? Did she do it on purpose? If she did, why?

Severus had to roughly shake his head, as if to shake all thoughts of her out of his mind and instead focused on clearing his mind.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **I know this is way past due, but I've been reading obsessively and put of my writing for a bit. Anyway please Review.


	14. Madness

_May 18, 2011 Prompt: Maniac_

_**XIV. Madness**_

Severus, against every fiber in his being that screamed to know, didn't question Luna about the kiss. He rather imagined that the girl hadn't thought anything of it, asking her about it would probably only serve to tip her off that to him it was... well bothering him. He was not about to give the girl that, well he supposed that the girl had some bizarre power over him, however, he didn't plan on allowing to know about it.

Severus did his best not to pay any thought to the incident. A not wholly impossible task as every passing day with Luna was never quite like any other before.

Every day, he saw Luna in an array of different clothes in many bright colors. Somehow the girl always managed to make her clothes look coordinated, even as the brilliant colors she wore at times assaulted his eyes. However, considering how dark Spinner's end was, the colors were rather dimmed by the lack of adequately lighting.

As the days slowly passed, Severus found that he really didn't mind the presence of Miss Lovegood.

Not that she was there for every hour of every day. She rather spent a large amount of hours at the hospital

However, the time that she was there, they spent in relatively companionable silence. Usually eating a simple yet nutritious meal that she had made. Late in the evening, sometimes they would also sit together in the living room, each independently reading until it was time to go to bed.

After about the first week, Severus started to note subtle differences in his home. Like how it no longer smelled like of books, dust and vaguely of leather. Instead, it started to smell of fresh clean laundry and flowers. It wasn't until about the second or third day after he noted the scents that he started noting a few discretely and well placed flowers in small vases.

Severus wondered if he should be bothered by this. He supposed that he should, considering that this was his home and that she was changing it without his permission. However, he couldn't really find it in him to even care.

Unfortunately it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the fact that Luna rather seemed to... affect him. Severus wasn't sure how, or why, but just having her near him seemed to affect his breathing patterns, not to mention the beat of his heart. For days Severus tried to tell himself that the was having palpitations and respiratory problems due to being bitten and the fact that he was still recovering. But it was difficult to convince himself, no matter how much he preferred to, because these things only happened when he was around Luna.

Admitting of course, that he had been in denial, was just as hard as admitting that it was Luna. He could see no reason why she should affect him this way when she never had before.

Yes, in the past she confused him, irritated him, flustered him and made him feel like an idiot. However, he'd never felt physically ailed by her proximity.

Just sensing her close, made him heart to lose reason and start to beat out of control. The thought of her, made her uncomfortable. Having her near, sitting on the other end of the couch curled around one of his books, made his hands feel sweaty and his stomach to perform acrobats.

Severus wasn't sure what it was. He tried to reason it was just her batty presence. However, he knew that was foolish. Luna hadn't changed in the last several years, so why would her battiness suddenly affect him difference?

He tried to figure what it was about her constant and close proximity, but there was nothing that he could account for it. Though he was aware that she smelled rather lovely and almost intoxicatingly so, that was no reason for him to lose his reason and wits about her. Nor control over his inter organs. At least he didn't think so.

It frustrated him to no end to not know what was wrong with him. Sometimes he wondered perhaps if spending so much time with the renown lunatic was turning him into a maniac himself. After all, misery was easily passed from one person to another. Why not madness? Surely living in a house full of crazies guaranteed that you became crazy yourself?

Severus couldn't fathom that it could be anything else. Or perhaps he just didn't want to.

Sometimes he wondered if he was better off just not knowing.

**TBC...**


	15. In The Dawn

_May 19, 2011 Prompt: Dreamily_

_**XV. In The Dawn**_

Two weeks into having Luna as a Houseguest, two unprecedented events occurred.

The first of which was an evening in which Luna didn't come home.

Luna always arrived before dinner. As Severus was taking to doing a bit more around the house, day by day, he had taken to cooking in the evenings and during Lunch. The only reason that he didn't do breakfast because Luna always managed to be up long before him. Not that Severus knew when. He never heard her.

Severus, though he would never admit it outright, was concerned for her. When she didn't arrive, he had been unable to eat. He decided to sit and wait for her, reading, though he was unable to concentrate on his reading.

At around eight, he decided to floo to St. Mungos to see if perhaps she was there. When a Healer informed him that Miss Lovegood had left hours ago, Severus was _extremely_ concerned.

He spent most of the night interchanging between pacing or sitting. As the evening wore deep into the night and even early hours of morn, he stayed awake barely hanging on a thread. Despite feelings better these days, he was still not in good enough state to spend a sleepless night pacing and worrying. He felt extremely haggard.

When Luna walked in around four in the morning, looking rather dreamily Severus noted later, Severus had jumped to his feet. "Are you all right?" he asked, practically assailing her at the door. However, he didn't give her room to reply as he held her at arms length and inspected her.

"Yes," Luna said, a bit breathlessly, having been startled. A feat to be sure. "I'm really sorry to have concerned you."

"Where the HELL have you been?" Snape suddenly bellowed, ignoring what she had just said about him being concerned over her. Upon finding that she was wholly unharmed, the relief he felt to see that she was fine, washed out of him.

Luna flinched at this. Though she was used to yelling and was generally unfazed by it, being yelled by someone not even a foot away from you was still unpleasant. "I'm afraid telling you may make you feel a bit uncomfortable. You're so reserved, and to a lot of people sex seems to offend their puritanical sensibilities. At least to speak of it in casual conversation."

Severus was confused by this for a second. Was she implying that-

Severus took his hands off her, as if her skin burned his hands and stepped away, staring at her with a mixture of mild disgust and horror. "You mean to tell me, that I have just spent hours awake, worrying for your safety and that all this time, you were out fucking someone?" Severus said in a very low and murderous tone all the while glaring at the blonde before him.

Luna grimaced slightly. "Well that's one way to put it. I'd imagined _you_ would use sex, intercourse or even fornicate," Luna said, seemingly unfazed by his use of language. She then shrugged. "Just shows people will always surprise you. And I'm sorry, it was unexpected and I would have owled but I never imagined you would stay up and George hardly left me opportunity to breathe-"

"And is that supposed to make it all better? That you meant to?" Severus boomed, causing the windows to rattle.

"Not, but I'm apologizing. I feel awful-"

"Well isn't that marvelous, the lunatic girl actually has feelings."

"Professor, I understand that you-"

"What the hell do you know Miss Lovegood? Because obviously you don't have enough sense to do what etiquette and decency require of you by sending a small message that you won't be arriving so that people don't go out of their mind-" however, all the bellowing suddenly made him feel light-headed. Severus paused mid-rant as his vision blacked out for a moment, and he had to sit down.

Almost instantly, Luna was there at his side, lending a hand. However, Severus still felt rather incensed despite his apparent illness. "Don't touch me," her snarled, ripping his arm out of her grasp. For a moment, he bend over, placing his head between his knees and breathed. When he raised his head, he glared at the girl who was, despite his shouting and yelling, still hovering over him. "Why are you still here?" he asked venomously in a lower tone, glaring at her.

"You may feel slighted, and you can go on and treat me how you've gone your whole life treating people, but I'm not going away. You clearly are not fully recovered yet. Now you will stop behaving like a child, and let me help you up to bed, because you obviously need to rest," Luna said sternly, in a tone that broached for no argument and once more took his arm.

Grudgingly, Severus allowed her to help him up the stairs and into his room. Though she ventured inside far enough just to help him sit on it, she didn't linger.

**TBC...**


	16. Cooling Down

_May 20, 2011 Prompt: Brightness and/or Closed_

**A/n: **I'm aware that the last couple chapters contained many mistakes. I wrote them out and posted them as quickly as I could and didn't do a whole lot of editing. I also have several other stories to write and edit, but those don't have any set deadlines. I've been thinking perhaps I should get a Beta, but that would rather take too much time to find one, and even if I found one, I'd have to rely on when they would able to edit and get it back to me, which has never much appealed to me. Anyway, this is just an apology for the typos and grammatical errors. However, I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

_**XVI. Cooling Down**_

By the brightness of midday, Severus felt rather much like a prat for his treatment of Miss Lovegood. However, he couldn't bring himself to really take back what he had said. Though it had been rude, or perhaps even hurtful, the thought of apologizing physically pained him.

He had spent the entire night, pacing, sick with worry that something horrible may have happened to her when she had left the hospital. To know that the girl that had spent the night, undoubtedly rather pleased, in the arms of some... person.

Severus felt his skin crawl just at the mention of it.

However, his damned mind always been very overactive, especially when it came to torture. And unfortunately, it excluded no one from its long list of victims, not even himself. Sometimes not even all his expertise with Occlumency couldn't alleviate him from his torturous mind, not when it latched onto something.

As was, soon after Luna had left him alone, instead of going to sleep, his mind kept him up. He hadn't slept in about nineteen hours, and it seemed that he wasn't about to. His brain was wide awake and had no plans of shutting down, no matter how much he tried to clear his head.

Somehow, unwanted images pushed through the cracks of his defense. Luna's skin, traced by hands that belonged to an anonymous person. Her body, writhing slowly underneath someone. Her incredibly soft and unblemished skin, shimmering with perspiration and flushed red and with love bites. Her legs wrapped around some boy's hips. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head in ecstasy.

It made him feel sick. It made him want to bludgeon his head against a wall until he was no longer conscious. But also, it robbed him of sleep that his body so desperately needed.

But his mind was wide awake, and no matter how much he tried he couldn't get it to shut off.

After wrestling with his mind for hours, Severus gave up on sleeping and merely got up and headed down to his lab beyond.

Since he'd gotten home, he'd not been down there but to give it a cursory glance. Being as quite a film of dust covered everything, there was a lot of dusting that he would have to do. And being as he didn't like using his wand for every little thing, it was something he'd been putting off doing. Severus felt that perhaps some manual labor might get his thoughts off of Luna. At least for a while.

He didn't want to think about her. Not of what she was out doing last night, nor the things she had said to him, nor the things he had said her that would in all likelihood alienate the only person that even seemed to care, even a little, about him.

**TBC...**

**A/N: As always, please review.**


	17. The Daydreamer

_May 21, 2011 Prompt: Opened_

_**XVII. The Daydreamer**_

No one could say that he didn't knock on her door, before he'd opened it.

He'd definitely knocked.

He'd gotten no answer.

That was the reason that despite not getting permission, after finding that the door was not locked at all, that he stepped into the room.

Well that and he was rather becoming concerned. After spending hours in the lab, he'd begun to worry about why Luna had holed herself up in her room for so long. And he was rather certain that she was in there, as he'd heard her moving around the room. Sure the girl was light on her feet, but the house was rather old and the floors creaked with the lightest of pressures.

He wondered if perhaps for once his words had actually managed to affect her. If that was the case, he cursed the girl. Of all the times for her to care about what he said, she chose now? Although he supposed, that _would_ be his luck.

Anyway, he'd knocked. That was his whole point. Therefore he was not at all at fault for the... way that he found the girl.

Seemingly, or at least he thought so, the girl was sprawled in a rather unorthodox position on the somewhat large bed. While she was laying on her back, her legs were bent at the knee and curled back so that her feet were near to her hip.

Her hair, was sprawled up over her head for the most part, and one of her hands was extended up and over her head, were her fingers had probably been touching the tips of her hair. As for her other hand, it was resting near her navel, or just under it.

Severus quickly looked away from the hand that was too close to her nether-regions for his comfort. Instead, he looked at her hair, which appeared damp. The comforter, over which she was laying, was disarrayed as if the girl had been twisting and turning on the bed like a little eel. Also, the likely reason for why her skirt had hiked up so much.

Severus wasn't sure if the skirt itself were short, or it was all her twisting about, but the hem of the skirt was bunched so that it was merely inches from revealing... well herself. He could tell that some of the skirt had bunched up, but he wasn't sure how much. Either way. The girl was revealing more leg then he felt strictly comfortable with.

Blushingly, Severus managed to draw his gaze away from her. Being under the impression that the girl was asleep, he tried to make a hasty exit. However, as he was at the threshold, he heard a sound. Like rustling.

He looked up, only to be shocked to see that the girl was sitting up and watching him, with her head tilted to one side. "What are you doing, Professor?" she asked, in her sing-song voice.

Severus blushed even more to see that she was awake, almost catching him in suspicious activity, even though he had technically hadn't done anything. And the girl seemed wholly unaware or simply unconcerned about the fact that her skirt had ridden up.

"I was coming to check on you and seeing as you were asleep, I was trying to leave without disturbing you," Severus said. He heated to admit it, as it seemed to show that he was concerned about her, however, it was better than the alternative. That he was probably sneaking into her room with perverted intentions.

"I wasn't asleep," Luna said. Severus looked up into her eyes with a furrowed brow. "I was daydreaming with my eyes closed," she explained. Severus furrowed his brow, wondering what the difference was. Didn't most people daydream with their eyes open? However, he chose not to comment on it.

"I see, well I'll leave you to it. My apologies for disturbing you," Severus said, wanting to get the hell out of there.

Luna merely shrugged and closed her eyes as she lay back down. "Close the door please."

Severus grit his teeth. Now the little chit was ordering him around. However, thinking it was the least he could do, he did what he was told. He supposed he should just be relieved that he had escaped wholly unscathed.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please review!**


	18. Fixing A Hole

_May 22, 2011 Prompt: "Judgmental much?"_

_**XVIII. Fixing a Hole**_

In the course of the next couple days, things more or less went back to normal. If normal was what you would have called the living arrangements they'd previously had. Severus certainly wouldn't have called it normal, but considering Luna was involved, he supposed it was as normal as it got.

However, he was even reluctant to say that things had gone back to normal. Though Luna seemed not to think very much of what he had said, and didn't seem to begrudge him one bit, she was quieter these days.

Well not quiet, Severus thought. Rather, Luna wasn't speaking very much. She went about the house when she was around, usually at meal times, humming to herself. She even hummed and stared absent-mindedly overhead as she ate.

Severus found it quite a bit unnerving. He rather wondered if this was her version of the silent treatment. He tried testing by engaging her in conversation, but he was unsure how to do so. After all, he'd never been a particularly social person. And he knew that even people who were rather social would probably have hard time conversing with Luna Lovegood.

That did not make that he made no attempts whatsoever, or that he wouldn't try.

"How is your father?" he practically blurted one evening over dinner after having sat through ten minutes of watching her eat and hum. Severus wondered if Luna was somehow trained in particularly subtle and sadistic torture techniques, while simultaneously wondering if the tune she was humming was something he should recognize.

Severus was pleased when Luna had stopped her incessant humming and her eyes slowly lowered to him and focussed. She sighed wearily as she finished chewing what was in her mouth. "There's no significant change, he doesn't confuse me much these days, but he's still having issues sleeping and having with night sweats and night terrors," she said with a heavy sigh. "I would like to take him home, I think he'd be better there because I don't really think the Healers can do much more for him, but they won't release him as we're technically homeless. There is significant need for repair in our home since the whole roof caved him, but it hasn't been at the top of my priorities."

Severus grimaced, almost wishing he hadn't asked. However, he was more relieved to find that she didn't seem to be angry with him not to share, and more than that, that she had trusted him.

"All though, even if I had the time to do it, I'd I've to look in depth into construction charms and spells, before being able to fix our home," Luna said with a sigh, her shoulders slumping as she poked at her food. "I would ask the Weasley's for help, as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have a lot of experiences with these kinds of spells, but they're barely getting back to normal. Mr. Weasley has only just started back in the Ministry."

Luna brightened suddenly as she allowed a small smile to slip over her lips. "Mrs. Weasley is very happy these days, though. You see Bill's wife is going to have a baby. She's excited at the prospect of her first grandchild."

Severus nodded. He rather he felt that he was expected to show some sort of happiness to this news, but despite having been a Professor the last nearly two decades of his life, he didn't really like children. Or maybe it was because he had spend so many years teaching. After all, before that, he hadn't put much thought into children to formulate an opinion. So instead he chose to comment on something else.

"I wasn't aware that you had seen the Weasley's lately," he said, trying to be conversational to save himself from the oddly torturous humming.

"I haven't. George mentioned it when we were together," Luna said with a shrug as she picked a slice of potato and plopped it into her mouth. All the while, it dawned on Severus who Luna must be seeing and had been in the arms of the other night.

"George Weasley? Thats who you've been... dating?" Severus asked, astonished and for some reason angry. He wasn't sure why he had't put it together before. And now that he knew, he wasn't sure why it inflamed him so. What did he care who she was seeing? How did that make any difference to him.

"We're not dating, just having sex," she said, with such nonchalance she could have been commenting on the weather. "Although, that's a bit unkind. We have conversations too," Luna said with a shrug. "But we're always in his flat over the shop, in bed, so we're not dating; we don't go out. Or even together. I don't think he's in a place he could commit to anyone. He's still dealing with Fred's death. Although, he'll never fully get over it."

Severus merely sat there, staring as Luna seemingly had a conversation to herself while he smothered the series of emotions that went through him.

The first was indignation. She was just having sex with the Weasley boy? Event hough they weren't together in a formal relationship?

While a voice popped up in his head. _Judgmental much? She's an adult, she could have all the sex she wants to have with whoever she wants. If she were a man, it would be more socially acceptable. Frankly it would be sexist to think any less of her for it. _

However, Severus squashed this voice ferociously. He wasn't sexist, a whore is a whore no matter their gender. Not that he thought Luna was a whore. Rather from the sound of it, she was only sleeping with the one person.

Personally in his own experience, he'd had a couple one-night stands in his youth, and somehow what Luna was doing seemed more sound. Sleeping with a slew of strangers seemed much more dangerous than sleeping repeatedly with one person, someone you were friends with or in the least an acquaintance of.

However, how does one carry on in such a, for lack of a better term, friendship? Where they monogamous? How did they keep from becoming sentimentally involved? Wasn't there than risk that at least one of the pair were to fall in love and then make matters more complicated by desiring something more formal and solid? And what about jealousy.

Severus shook his head, wondering what did he care about the semantics of it. It wasn't really any of his business. However, as he gazed at Luna, he felt his stomach revolt. He felt that she deserved more than that. Didn't she know that? Or did she not want more than that?

"Are you all right Professor?" Luna suddenly called, causing him to snap out of his thoughts and focus on her.

"Yes," he replied, looking away, knowing that he'd never broach the subject while telling him firmly that it was none of his business, and that she was adult enough to know what she wanted. After a moment, he looked up. "You know, Miss Lovego... Luna, if you'd like I could help you in reconstructing your home," he offered tentatively.

"Really? It wouldn't be too much trouble?" Luna asked, her eyes brightening as she stared at him, wide-eyed. Being as she had seen him start doing more and more around the house, she had no qualms in accepting his offer. So long as he didn't exhaust himself.

"Yes... I mean no- I mean," Severus paused, flustered at the way he was blubbering like an idiot. He stopped talking and forced himself to concentrate and compose himself before trying again. "It's the least I could after all your kindness," Severus said through gritted teeth, his gaze faltering staring down at his lap.

He missed the beaming smile, and when Luna got suddenly to her feet. All he knew was that suddenly there were arms looped around his neck and that his face was pressed into the crook of a creamy neck and pressed to fine, pale-gold locks. "Thank you Professor Snape. You're the best!"

Severus squirmed a bit in her grasp, and tried to not think about how much the words pleased him.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Hope you enjoyed the chapter and that I didn't miss mistakes while editing. Anyway as always, please review!


	19. Caught In A Scene

_May 23, 2011 Prompt: Dancing_

_**XIX. Caught in a Scene**_

Severus wasn't sure how he'd allowed this to happen to him as he sat in a corner by himself, brooding over his glass of Firewhiskey, with his sights set on the culprit of his current misfortune.

Earlier that day, Luna had bounced into the kitchen and promptly informed him that being that it was Harry Potter's birthday, that they would be holding a celebration at the Burrow. As she was invited, she had invited him to come along, stating that she'd felt awful about leaving him behind while she was out enjoying herself.

Severus had protested, stating that he that he was invited. However, Luna prompt informed him that though that was the case, that she doubted that anyone object, being after what he did for Harry and his role in general in the past war.

Severus than stated that while that was the case, that it would still be terribly rude of him, only to have Luna point out that he never mind being rude or even cruel in the past, and that the result of this rudeness would probably please some as they would be able to see him out and about and in better health.

His next tactical excuse was to say that he was not yet well enough to deal with the exhausting _excite_ that a party would entail. However, when Luna frowned with a guilty look and asked him that if he was still feeling haggard from his near-death experience than perhaps she shouldn't be allowing him to help with her house, which he was already starting on. Though, he'd only gone through a cursory inspection to see what he needed to. This of course made him feel horribly guilty in turn, and he found himself acquiescing.

And so here he was still, several hours later, at the Weasleys Garden-party celebration of Harry Potter's eighteenth birthday. Grudgingly, he;d had to admit that there were those who were actually pleased to see him and in better health. Molly Weasley and even Minerva McGonagall, had both inexplicably hugged him and quietly thanked him for what he had done for Harry. It was enough to make him go mad and shout that he hadn't done it for Potter. However, he knew that would not be good manners. So he merely stayed silent and nodded jerkily.

As for the golden trio, they'd somewhat awkwardly offered their own thanks, though it was far more quicker.

During their late night dinner, Severus was distracted mercifully by Minerva telling him about the reconstruction of Hogwarts currently in progress. Severus was unsurprised at how intensive it was, considering that they had to have the school in good condition before September. However, he was surprised when she broached the subject about if whether or not he considered returning.

Politely as he could, he told her he had no intention to teach. That he was still recovering and didn't think that his nerves could yet handle so many adolescent children on a daily basis. Minerva had in turns merely smiled at him and told him that if he ever reconsidered that the school would be open to him. Though to Severus this was unappealing, the sentiment behind the offer was still enough to floor him and rob him of words, so that he could merely nod.

After the dinner, cake and a few toast, the dancing had broke out. Severus had at that point removed himself to a corner in most solitude, where the lights hardly seemed to reach and quietly contemplated the evening. It had certainly been full of shocks. Seeing so many Gryffindors apologetic and grateful to him of all people was certainly not something he'd ever thought he'd see in his life.

Before long, Severus found himself watching Luna and her interactions. Earlier, she had spent much time with the female Weaslette. Severus had a strong suspicion that the red-head was grilling Luna about her stay with him, though he doubted she was getting far as he noted the girls increasing exasperation until she gave up, throwing her hands up and stalking away to join Potter.

Severus than watched Luna bounce over to Neville and that boy, Dean Thomas. When the dancing broke out, Severus noted with a twinge of... something unpleasant that the Thomas boy offered his hand to Luna before leading her to the dance floor.

Shoving down any emotions he may have felt, Severus furrowed his brow. Through the evening, he hadn't seen Luna interact with George and he thought it strange. He'd seen her talking to the golden trio, the Weaslette, other Gryffindors that had been in Potter's year and had even seen her talking to Bill and his spouse, that Delacour girl. However, not once in the evening had he seen her talk to George.

Severus thought that was weird, considering the intimate aspect of their acquaintance. For a moment, he wondered if they were avoiding each other, but he thought that was absurd. Luna wasn't really the type of person to avoid anyone. Looking around, he wondered where George Weasley was.

It took him a while to spot him. He suspected that had something to do with the fact that the boys hair reached past his chin and looked stringy and greasy. Severus frowned as he watched the boy. He looked very pale, and there were bags under his eyes. He was shaking his head, and seemingly having a discussion with Percy ans Charlie. The boy was frowning, while his brothers seemed to look concerned.

Severus watched as George took a swig of his glass and drained it just as Charlie reached out and tried to take it. Some of it slopped down the boys robes, and he whipped and dropped the glass on a ground before shoving his older brother. Severus watched as the two boys than went into a shoving match, which Percy tried to stop by placing himself between the two. For his pains the boy was cuffed in the jaw and promptly pushed out of the way by George.

However, by then they'd caught the attention of the others, and Severus watched as Bill, Mr. Weasley, and Ron pried Bill away while Potter and Dean Thomas tried to grad the still wildly thrashing George. Percy, who was bleeding, was helped to his feet by Neville Longbottom and the Weaslette, while Granger tried to stop his bleeding.

Severus looked around and noted that Mrs. Weasley was standing, staring confused and dismayed by her pregnant daughter-in-law while the rest of the guest stood looking on. Severus watched warily as Luna approached George and felt his stomach tighten and his heart to leap in his throat. Unsure of what he was doing, he pushed his chair back and quickly strode over just as Luna reached the boy.

Being as he had always been a fast walker, it didn't take him long to reach them just as Luna was approaching from behind. "You're not the only one that lost a brother," Charlie shouted, still restrained though he was not struggling the way George was. Already Potter was turning red from trying to hold one of the ex-twin's arm while straining his neck out of the way.

Severus briefly wondered why no one thought to use their wands. Gyffindors, he thought huffily to himself as he approached Luna. He gently grabbed her by the forearm, keeping in mind the time he bruised her arm by grabbing her to hard, and kept her from getting amy closer to the clearly maddened Weasley. "I don't think that would be wise at the present," he said, pulling her next to him and leasing her arm.

Luna looked up uncertainly at him, her brow's creased with concern.

"OH did you? I haven't noticed, because you sure haven't acted like it," George roared back at his brother, as he continued to try and shove Dean and Harry out of his way. "Bill, Ron and YOU! Not a single fucking tear since the day he died!"

"Because there was a lot going on then! And who do you thinks been trying to keep the family together and the house running o give mum and dad a chance to grieve." Charlie yelled, enraged, and lunging, though he was unsuccessful. It seemed with his father, Bill and Ron in the way, even for a dragon tamer they were enough. "You think we haven't all been hurting inside?"

"George!" Severus looked up, displeased and wondering how he hadn't noticed Luna inching towards the enraged boy.

"What?" George yelled, twisting. However, he seemed to sober when he noticed it was Luna who had called his name. For a moment, he stopped and merely panted to catch his breath before shaking off the people that held him and walking over to the girl in quick strides.

He marched up to her so furiously, Severus took a step towards the girl calling George's attention to him. "What you're not satisfied enough taking my ear from me, you want to take her too?" George asked, glaring up at the sour ex-Potions Master/ Head of Slytherin/ Headmaster/ Spy.

"I don't know what you're prattling about but-"

"Ever since she's been seeing you or whatever, you're like all she ever talks about, even more than nargles," George stated exasperatedly. Severus wasn't sure how he should feel about this. A part of him was paranoid about the fact that she was sharing things with one half of the pair that used to make teaching hell with their pranks. But on the other, he felt extremely pleased. She was talking about him, a lot? "We may only be friends with benefits, but its still disconcerting when you've just tried your damnedest to please her and she starts prattling about some other guy. Specially if said guy was your greasy-git ex-Professor."

"George," Luna said, taking his face and cupping it between both hands and forcing him to look down at her. He was still breathing heavily, and a bit distracted, but since she was holding him he could not look away. "I know, we've talked about this. But this isn't the way to talk to your family about what you feel," she scolded slightly. Severus noted that the boy had the decency to look down at his feet, sheepishly and fidget.

She then reached up and slung her arms around his neck. Severus watched with displeasure the way the boy held her, as if she was a lifesaver and the only thing that kept him afloat. However, he noticed that she seemed to be saying something privately to the boy before she smiled up at him and turned him around.

"I'm sorry, all of you, for what I said," George said after sighing in resignation and hesitantly raising his eyes from the ground to look at his family who'd all been watching the evens wearily and with a sense of caution. As if George was likely to go off again. However, at his apology many shoulders seemed to loosen.

And all is right again in Weasley world, Severus thought drily to himself as he watched as George was suddenly engulfed by Charlie.

For the millionth time, Severus wondered what in hell he was doing there.

**TBC...**


	20. Aftermath

_May 24, 2001 Prompt: Flower garden_

_**XX. Aftermath**_

"I was wondering where you got off to," Severus looked up, startled by a voice.

After all the commotion, he'd wandered away after seeing Mrs. Weasley come up to Luna. Severus wasn't sure why, but the sight reminded him too much of watching Mrs. Weasley interact with her daughter-in-law and just the comparison made him feel sick.

"I've often thought this should be a flower garden, but the gnomes would destroy it completely. They're so impossible to get rid of y'know," Luna said conversationally as they stood out in front of the Burrow. Severus didn't say anything, and they merely stood in silence.

After all the scene that had disrupted the celebration, Severus rather felt he needed to get away, before everyone noticed him and started thinking about what the Weasley pratt had said. He hadn't known that there was a way he could feel more uncomfortable surrounded by so many Gryffindors, however the boy's words had somehow done it. And why had he been provided with the opportunity? Because Severus couldn't say no to the blonde girl with large, protuberant eyes. A blonde he was apparently taking away, if you could believe the paranoid ramblings of a clearly still grieving boy.

However, Severus hadn't gotten far when he tried to escape. Severus wasn't sure whether to leave or wait for Luna. After all, he had come with her. However, he was more than aware that that didn't mean she had to leave with him, but it did seem to make things confusing to him. What was proper etiquette? Was he supposed to wait for her to go? Or could he leave?

"I wanted to thank you," Luna said suddenly, quietly, causing him to turn and look at her and Snape out of his rather inane thoughts.

"What for?" he asked, his voice sound louder than he had intended. After the scene, the celebration had become rather muted. And on this side of the house, whatever noise was left, barely reached it. Severus had the suspicion than many of the other guest had probably already gone after witnessing the rather awkward and dramatic incident.

"For trying to keep me out of harms way," Luna replied, looking up with her big blue eyes. "Although George wouldn't have done anything to hurt me, I appreciate it," she said, flashing him a small smile, before turning to look up at the sky.

"What did he mean?" Severus asked, before he could help it. Luna didn't turn to him, when he asked and merely continued to look up.

"I don't think he really blames you for his ear, he was just angry, he would have shouted at anyone."

"Not about that. I could care less what the boy thinks of me. I meant about the other thing he said."

"Everyone's been so busy, I'm the only one he's really had to talk to. I suppose thats why he said it, not out of any sense of ownership. George knows better than to treat a girl, specially a friend, as an object," Luna said with a shrug.

"Are you deliberately being obtuse?" Severus asked in vexation, fully turning to look at him.

Luna sighed. "He said a lot of things," she huffed, looking at him and crossing her hands over her chest. "Perhaps you should be more clear as to which thing he said that you want me to address."

Severus felt his cheeks flame at this, knowing the girl had a point and glowering at her for it. How did this little chit get the best of him?

"About you talking about me," he stated coolly and with some feigned exasperation. He eyed her carefully, hoping to see it fluster her. However, Luna as always, was immune to any form of embarrassment.

"Oh, that. Other than my father, you're the person I most interact with, seems only natural. Besides, how can I burden George with my troubles when he already has so much to deal with," Luna said with a slight shrug. Severus felt his spirits sink somewhat, but chose to ignore the sensation and merely turn once more so that he was merely standing beside the girl and looking up at the sky. "I hope that after tonight he can finally open up to his family. What he really needs is them."

Severus didn't really care about the woes of the Weasleys, so he didn't deign to reply. For a few minutes, they both merely stood in almost-companionable silence, staring up at the skies.

That is until Severus felt something warm and soft touching the palm of his hand. Furrowing his brow, he looked up at noted that a hand smaller than his, more delicate, was holding his. Looking up, he was stunned silent when he saw Luna looking at him with a smile. "Ready to go?" she asked. He was barely able to nod when he noted that her wand was out.

The next second, they were gone.

Earlier, when she'd made him take her arm to Apparate to the burrow because she didn't want to tire him by letting him apparate on his own, he'd discovered that Luna's apparating was as unique as she was. It wasn't unpleasant, though he still got that sensation of breathlessness. But instead of feeling like he was being squeezed through a dark and airtight tunnel, he'd rather felt like his body was weightless. So weightless, that he couldn't even feel the weight of his limbs. It was like he was air itself.

When he opened his eyes, Severus wasn't sure what it was about apparating that always made them close as if they had a will of their own, he found that they were back in Spinners End.

"Good night, and thank you for coming," Luna said, letting go of his hand. Severus didn't have a change to regret the loss of contact, before he felt her arms wrapped around him. He didn't have time to enjoy the hug either, as almost as fast as she had given it to him, she pulled away and left the room.

Severus sighed as he watched her go, before sinking onto the couch and putting his head in his hands wondering if there was ever any getting used to Luna.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **As always please review!


	21. Empty

_May 25, 2011 Prompt: Truthfully_

_**XXI. Empty**_

"George wants me to move in with him," Luna suddenly said as she sat next to Severus in the grass just outside her home. Severus paused, and turned to look at her. He wasn't sure why, but he felt as though she had punched him in the stomach and knocked all the wind out of him. "Until the house is fixed. You no longer need me, you've been doing much better. I think the project on the house has done you good. You've been regaining much of your strength day by day," she went on turning to look at him with a smile before maving the basket she had been carrying in front of her.

For days, Severus had been going to the Lovegood home and steadily started working on it. Every day, Luna had always stopped by around Lunch and usually brought something with her to eat. Usually, they sat in the garden of her home and ate in silence, though sometimes they spoke of random things, Luna always directing the conversation while Severus struggled to keep up.

"Well?" Severus asked impatiently as he watched her pull a sandwich from the basket and absent-mindedly taking it from her hand.

"I told him no, that it was a huge mistake," Luna replied as always showing a complete lack of emotion, as she pulled out a butter beer and uncapping it before handing him the bottle. "I hope you don't mind my encroaching on your hospitality a little longer," Luna said, looking up with her big blue eyes. "Its just that George is confusing things. Which is rather odd, considering he was the one that said that we were just friends after the first time we had sex, and that nothing had changed. I don't know what's gotten into him lately."

Severus stared at her, utterly bewildered while holding the sandwich and bottle she'd given him up. When Luna smile at him and reached out for his arms, gently putting them to rest in his lap, he came to himself.

"Well?" Luna asked, looking expectantly at him. Severus stared at her even more confused wondering if he'd been so mystified that he'd missed a part of the conversation.

"Well what?" he snapped.

"Do you mind if I stay with you for a while longer. I mean I know you don't particularly need me anymore, but I'm still trying to get the Quibbler on its feet and well the income isn't enough to get my own place just yet, and since the house is still in significant need of repair, I was wondering if I could still stay with you? I mean if you don't want me to anymore, I understand, and I could always take George up on-"

"NO!" Severus suddenly snapped, speaking louder than he meant to. Luna furrowed her pale brows at him. Severus blushed and looked away. "I mean..." he frantically racked his brain for a way to say she could stay that would not give away that he actually wanted her there, or that he loathed the idea of her shacking up with the red-head-disaster. He looked away from her and stared down at the simple lunch that she had prepared, though, it would not help. "I-"

A rustling beside him drew his attention. When he looked up, his eyes practically bulged out of his head when he felt Luna press her lips to his forehead. Pulling away, she placed both her cool hands on either side of his face and held him. Looking down into his eyes, she stared at him sternly with her sapphire-eyes. "You need to be more laid-back Professor, or one day you're going to melt your brain with the heat of your discomfort. Its just me, Loony Lovegood, no reason to be embarrassed around me. I'll never laugh at you," she said, with a kind smile.

Severus felt his lungs constrict as he stared into her eyes. He felt that he couldn't breathe. He wanted to move, to get out of her field of vision, but he felt rooted to the spot. He couldn't move. He couldn't even think.

"Breathe Professor," Luna ordered, frowning concernedly. "Maybe you do still need me," she added thoughtfully.

Severus looked up slowly unaware he had even looked away. He stared at Luna, dazed. "Truthfully," he said, his throat sounding weird to him. Almost hoarse and if it were disconnected from him. "Without you I'm not sure I'll know how to go on."

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please Review!**


	22. Good Enough

_May 26, 2011 Prompt: Lies_

_**XXII. Good Enough**_

Luna sat back and stared at Professor Snape, unsure what to make of what he had just said. "Don't be silly, Professor-"

Severus felt his cheeks flame. He couldn't believe what he had just blurted, but for the girl to shrug it off as him spouting silliness, made his blood boil. However, not particularly wishing to address what he had said, he diverted her attention elsewhere. "You know, considering you have been staying for a couple weeks and as I am no longer your Professor, nor have any intention to be, you could just call me Severus," he said in a low tone as he lowered his gaze.

"Very well," Luna replied with a shrug as she watched him place the Butter Beer bottle between his knees and lower the sandwich to his lap. "And you know, I only meant that... its just an illusion to believe that you're life relies so much on someone and its not healthy. You were getting by fine without me, you will do so again. Besides, I was just one of your students."

Severus felt like he wanted to burry his head in the ground. "Surely Luna, you're aware that you could never be just another student."

Luna tilted her head and pondered this before breaking out into a goofy smile. "Well, not a particularly orthodox one."

"You're more than just unorthodox. You're special. I think you're the kindest, most selfless person I've ever known," Severus replied, not able to look at her when he said it and speaking barely above a whisper. "Honestly, I think it would have been better if I had never survived Nagini's bite. I liked the last seventeen years, working towards a goal. I had a mission, and now thats over. What am I suppose to do now."

"Live," Luna replied simply, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. "Severus, you were given a second chance. A real one. You can really live your life now and enjoy it."

Severus looked at her small hand as it rested on his forearm. Being as Luna was sitting on his left, it was were the Dark Mark once was. Though, despite the Dark Lord's demise, it was still there. The marking was now very faint, but it was still there, still visible. However, he couldn't help but sneer at what she said.

"And how am I supposed to enjoy it?"

"Well that's for you to figure out, Severus. Just keep taking it a day at a time," Luna said, pulling her hand away. "And I'll always be there for you if you need me, even if I'm no longer living with you," Luna smiled kindly.

Severus had always been able to see through people's lies. Whether they were lies of omission or even just white lies. However, as he stared at Luna's open face, he couldn't see any trace of it.

Despite knowing that she wasn't lying, Severus wasn't sure whether he could believe her or not. And even if he did, he wasn't sure if it was good enough.

**TBC...**

**A/n:** Please Review!


	23. Insomnia

_May 27, 2011 Prompt: Gone_

_**XXIII. Insomnia**_

Severus lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, pondering the conversation he had with Luna days ago.

In the past several days, he was making more progress on the Lovegood abode, becoming increasingly aware that as soon as he was done, Luna would be gone.

Though he was sure she meant what she said about being there for him whenever he needed, he was also aware that life had a funny way of making yesterdays promises so much easier to break. Because life was unpredictable and frequently changing.

The tower shaped house was days away from completion. After that, all it would need was to be cleaned from the inside of rubble and made inhabitable by adding homey touches.

Soon he was going to lose her, and there was nothing he could do about it. Unless he just stopped fixing the tower and leave the girl to deal with it on her own. However, he couldn't do that to her. After all, she was doing it so she could take her father out of St. Mungo's. How could he deny her one of the few things he was sure made her genuinely happy.

He couldn't.

He'd never been able to deny her anything.

Sighing, Severus turned on his side wondering what was wrong with him. What did he care so much about Luna? She was just an odd girl that he'd previously had as a student. She shouldn't be of any importance to him.

Closing his eyes, he could picture the girl. Her pretty face, her pale skin, her large blue eyes. The way her pale blonde hair looked more silver or gold, depending on the lighting; how it fell in fragrant waves down her back. Her beautiful and comforting smile, one she gave to everyone, even him.

When once he used to think of her as just a odd girl, one who infuriated him because there wasn't a way he could faze her, now he could only see her as lovely. She was kind and seemingly incapable of showing hate to anyone, even if they deserved it for the way that they used her, or made fun of her.

He'd been putting some thought into her relationship with George, though that he had to push aside his personal feelings to do so. Given some of the things the girl had said, he was starting to see a clearer picture of their circumstance.

To him, it rather seemed like that boy had taken advantage of Luna's kindness during his grieving, and used Luna. And then in the cold light of dawn had regretted it and made it clear to the girl that it didn't mean anything, and that they were still nothing more than friends. And now that he thought his no-strings-attached sex was coming to an end because he thought Luna's attention was caught elsewhere, he was doing anything he could to get her to stay with him.

Severus supposed that it was a good thing that Luna seemed immune to love, or at least capable to wade through the bull shit.

Once more, Severus sighed heavily and rolled onto his back and wished he could just stop thinking of Luna and just go to sleep. However, he couldn't. He knew that. He felt as though his time with her was running out, and he needed to figure things out before she slipped through his fingers.

He wasn't even sure what he wanted with the girl. Or rather what he wanted from her. It wasn't as though he was very good at making friends. Besides, it seemed wildly unethical or bizarre to become friends with someone who was one of his students a little over a couple months prior. Though, he supposed that they had far exceeded normal. After all, she was living with him, practically feeding him on a daily basis while he only paid for the things necessary from his meager savings.

He wondered why he was even stressing about it when he already knew that anything to do with Luna would never be normal.

He was surprised at all that he was actually getting used to it.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please Review!**


	24. You Still Breathing?

_May 28, 2011 Prompt: Bones_

_**XXIV. You Still Breathing?**_

_Severus found himself inexplicably seated behind the Headmaster's desk. _

_Looking up, he wondered whether he should be surprised or not that Luna was standing before his desk, staring around at the portraits. She'd been in trouble enough, was a repeat offender really, there was no reason to be surprised. _

"_Miss Lovegood-"_

"_Luna. I though we went over that," she said, turning her eyes and looking at him knowingly with a small teasing smile on her face. _

"_Miss Lovegood," he said, and though the girl gave a sigh, he went on. "Why are you here?"_

"_To help you," she replied enigmatically as she turned her gaze back to the portraits. _

"_Help me? And what do you propose to help me with?" he asked skeptically. Though, he was a bit curious to know what the girl was talking about. _

"_I know you want to jump my bones, for some reason you can't seem to figure it out," she replied airily. _

"_Jump your bones?" he asked, giving her a blank look. _

"_Yes. Although, I think there's more than the physical, however, you are pretty closed to your emotions. I'm not surprised you haven't been able to figure it out yet. Suppose you're past and your obsession with Harry's mum makes it all the more difficult," Luna replied, before turning her eyes to look at him. "Although maybe you're just hopelessly clueless when it comes to love and the like."_

"_Excuse me?" Severus asked, standing and glaring at the girl. _

"_Severus, you're going to wake yourself like that. I'm only trying to help you get what you want."_

"_Professor Snape," he bit out. "And how do you presume to know what I want?" he snapped. _

_Luna rolled her eyes, "Because I'm you, or rather your subconscious. And being as you're so clueless, you need a rather more direct message than some abstract dream. Which is what I'm here for."_

_Severus pulled away as Luna jumped on the desk and knelt before him. Her pale hands with nimble fingers reached to the front of his robes, causing his body to freeze while his heart jumped in his throat. "What are you doing?" he asked hoarsely. _

"_Giving you a taste of what you want," she replied in her sing-song voice before leaning in and placing her soft lips against his. When she pulled away, she had a beautiful, smiling cheekily at him. "You still breathing?"_

Severus sat up in his bed, gasping for breath. He looked wildly about himself, and found that he was in bed, in Spinner's end. The mornings light, was coming in through his window and made him blink a few times before he was adjusted to it.

Sighing, he rubbed his hands to his face. The dream that he had was still swirling about his head. It made his heart ache and belatedly he wished that he was still dreaming.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please Review!**


	25. The Soldier and His Arms

_May 29, 2011 Prompt: Soldier_

_**XXV. The Soldier and His Arms**_

Severus wasn't really quite sure what he was doing here. Although, he had stopped trying to think in those terms. When it came to Luna, he never knew what he was doing. And he never knew how she managed to make him do things, that it wasn't in his nature to do. She simply had that power over him, and he was trying to simply go with it these days.

This time, he had allowed her to drag him to a pub, in London. It was called The Soldier's Arms, and Luna was dragging him to celebrate as he had finished working on the repairs of her home.

However, Severus didn't much feel like celebrating. After all, this meant that very soon, Luna would be leaving.

The thought of it, made his heart throb, and his mouth to taste bitter. He was trying to wash the pain and taste away with Firewhiskey. It wasn't until he drank about his third or fourth that he started to feel a slight buzz thrumming through his body, that made him begin to forget his foul mood.

He looked around the establishment. It was rather a nice pub or at least not seedy an dank. Almost reminded him of the Three Broomsticks, except it was less crowded and had comfy booths as well as tables. The room itself was made up of dark ebony tables, deep blue walls and the violet upholstery of the booths, of which he found himself seated across from Luna.

"How did you find this place?" Severus found himself asking as he looked around. The room was lit by gas lamps set on the center of the tables. Some of the chairs were extraordinary high backed chairs, with black leather cushions. There was a bar too, with stools and waitresses in loose kakhi pants with black dress shirts waited on tables, though there was no food to be had except for peanuts.

"A few days after the Final Battle, I met up here with Dean Thomas," Luna replied with a shrug as she downed her drink. She was drinking shots, which came in colorful little vials. Already she had downed two and was raising her vial to get another. She said when she'd ordered them that to her they tasted like rainbows... whatever that meant.

"I wasn't aware you two were friends," Severus said conversationally, his voice coming out in a slower drawl than was usual. The Fireswhiskey sort of made his tongue feel heavy and lazy. However, he was not slurring.

"Well we used to be in the DA together, but we became a little closer after we were saved from Malfoy Manor and we were staying with Bill Weasley and his wife, there wasn't much to do there," Luna replied, not looking at him but rather taking another colorful vial with a smile from the waitress. "Dean is nice. He seemed to like cunnilingus, and he didn't seem to mind me telling him how I liked it ," she went on, causing Severus to choke as he had been drinking at the time and spit it back in his cup.

Luna furrowed her brow and scooted around the booth so that she sat next to him instead of across, and patted him on the back. "Have you slept with every boy you've been _friends_ with?" he suddenly snapped, looking at her with a furrowed brow.

"Of course not. I only had oral sex with Dean, and George was my first," Luna replied airily as she waved for another vial. "The wanted to be just be friends, and why not? They're attractive, nice and rather gentlemanly about it. And it's only natural to be curious about sex, and after discovering sex is enjoyable, why should I desist? Why should I care for what society dictates? I'm not hurting anyone or using anyone," Luna said, drowning another drink.

Severus grudgingly accepted what she said, though he didn't like it. Instead, he decided to change the subject to something that didn't make him angry. "Don't you think you're drinking a bit much?"

"I'm not sure, I can hardly taste any alcohol in these, and they taste so sweet," Luna replied as she started nodding her head as though she were listening to music in her head. Severus didn't really put it past her. After all, Luna marched to the beat of her own drum most of her life. Maybe there was music in her head.

Severus started to feel uncomfortable that she was still sitting next to him. However, he was seating to near the edge of the booth, that he didn't have room to move. Not unless he got up and moved to the other side. "Luna... don't you mind?"

"Mind what?" she asked, humming to herself as she looked up as the waitress walked over to take Severus' sullied drink and give him another. She motioned for another drink.

"Not having a steady boyfriend?"

Luna furrowed her brow and looked at him confused. "No, why would I?"

"For the stability."

Luna smiled at him, as if she thought he were a child. "Labeling it so, doesn't give more stability to a relationship. Calling someone a boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse even, doesn't ensure that they will still feel in love with you every morning for the rests of their life. Really, you can only promise someone your feelings, for the moment.

"The true love that endures, is companionship. With labels or without, it endures because two people enjoy each others company and are committed to working through the kinks, and have an understanding of what each other wants or expects," Luna explained, though as she was on about her fifth drink, her voice wasn't as sing-song and more of a slow drawl.

Severus furrowed his brow, unsure what she was talking about. However, love was never something he could figure out. He would question Luna, how she could possibly know this at such a young age, however, he'd feel foolish doing so. He'd grown to understand that Luna despite being human... was something more ethereal. She seemed dotty at times, but she was wise beyond her years.

A movement at his side, had him turning to look. Luna had sat up, and was kneeling in the seat next to him, facing him. Under the scrutiny of her large blue eyes, he felt uncomfortable. He was near enough squirming under her intense gace before she trapped his face between hers and leaned in closer, staring deep into his eyes. "I'll tell you a secret," she said, with a bleary smile.

Severus could smell her breath, and wondered dazedly that it smelled like rainbows.

Just thinking it, he wanted to mentally slap himself. However, he was trying to keep his heart from beating wildly as he looked up into her eyes. "What's that?"

"I'm really happy you're having a real discussion with me," she said, with a grin so wide, it put the Cheshire cat to shame. Here was this sprite of a girl, and to him she seemed to be Alice and Wonderland all at once.

Her smile was oddly beautiful. It was completely Luna.

Severus felt like he couldn't breath anymore. Her gaze had trapped him, paralyzed him, and now there was no escape.

Luna sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her head forehead against his. "Its too bad you've trapped your heart in a dungeon," she said enigmatically, pulling away from him and waving for another drink.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please Review!**


	26. On Your Doorstep

_May 30, 2011 Prompt: Amethyst_

_**XXVI. On Your Doorstep**_

Luna was gone a couple days later. Severus wasn't surprised, after all it had been what he was expecting.

She had of course, said she would keep in touch, and even invited him to come see her whenever he wanted. This should have been somewhat of a comfort to him, as it meant she wasn't cutting him out of her life.

However, he still felt.. well devastated really. Now that she was gone, he rather felt like there was a gaping hole inside of him, and he didn't know what to do with it.

He rather loathed himself for it. He wasn't sure how this had happened to him. He'd lead most of his adult life, putting up walls around himself to keep people away. How had he let Luna walk through all those barriers as if they didn't exist?

However, it couldn't be his fault. He wasn't sure there weren't any barriers that Luna could not cross. She was really just not of this world. And with her out of his life... she felt even more surreal than ever before.

And Severus didn't know why he was thinking about this silly nonsense. All it did was remind him of Luna and he wondered whether the way her mind worked was contagious. Surely spending so much time with her had caused severe damaged to his previously logical mind.

He tried to tell himself that Luna was just a girl, one that used to be his student. As a rule, Severus had always hated his students, especially those that in some way or other bugged him more than most. This included idiots, insufferable-know-it-alls, arrogant prats, and lunatics. Luna, though she had been a relief to him, even when she was younger, still annoyed him like nothing else. Though he had gotten used to her as the years went on, she still absolutely confused him and even vexed him at times.

But she was still, or had been, one of hist students. He knew that he should not be thinking of her at all, much less desire to see her. As a rule, once students left school, you didn't usually speak to them regularly or see them again. Not unless you were Horace Slughorn, which Severus was certainly not.

And yet, despite rationalizing it all he wanted, he couldn't get the nagging feeling out of his stomach. Not anymore than he could feel the slight throbbing in the cavity where his heart should be. Severus yet marveled at all that he had one, though he knew he did only because it tended to ache dully.

For the first time, at least since he first woke, he wondered why he was still here. He wondered why whatever power there was in the universe that decided the fate of mortals, why they felt the need to torture him longer in this life. What purpose did his life have anymore?

Severus knew that for him, this thoughts were unacceptably maudlin. He supposed that being in Spinner's End wasn't helping. A trip to Diagon Alley's Apothecary, would surely help clear his mind. Or at least help him be prepared for the long hours of being down in his Potions Lab to keep his mind thoroughly occupied.

Unfortunately he merely got to the door. Just as he opened the door, he found Luna standing there, with her face absurdly close to where his door had just been.

"Oh hello, Professor," she suddenly said, turning her bright blue eyes at him as a smile sprouted across her lips. "Did you come to investigate the Nargles scratching at the door?" she asked while nodding sagely.

Severus wasn't sure what it was. Later, he would blame it on the tension, or the fact that without her, however odd it may sound, he felt as though he was going out of his mind. Or perhaps it was the absurdity of actually having missed her and feeling so lost without and then finding her on his doorstep, something he should probably have foreseen considering how strange she was, doing something equally strange.

However whatever the reason, the sight of her, while sending his heart into a violent attack, made him suddenly burst into laughter. An event that had not happened... well as long as he could remember.

When he managed to get control over himself and straighten up, he found Luna standing in front of him with a wide smile on her face. "You laughed!" she said, sounding both pleased and deliriously happy as she looked up at his eyes. Severus struggled to regain control over his features, however, for once he was unsuccessful. Her smile was so wide, almost crazy looking, but it was contagious, and he could feel the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, rather rebelliously.

"Yes contrary to belief, I can laugh," he said sarcastically, finally able to stop himself from smiling. He hated it. Made him feel like an idiot. Placing a scowl on his face, he crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you doing here, Miss... Luna?" he asked, shaking his head and correcting himself at the end. His voice was not as cold as he wished it would be. Rather it sounded gentle.

"I've been meaning to visit, but I've had a lot to do," she replied, clasping her hands suddenly behind her back and sort of swaying on her feet forwards and backwards as she started looking around. Briefly Severus wondered if Luna perhaps had some sort of attention deficit disorder.

"Well, I was heading out," he stated, looking down at her. Today she was wearing a light blue summer dress, that seemed to bring out the blue in her eyes and make them more intense. He felt he could melt under her gaze when she suddenly turned to look at him.

"Oh," she said, sounding mildly disappointed. Although, Severus told himself that was absurd and probably just his imagination. "Well perhaps another time, it was nice to see you," she said, suddenly turned and skipping away.

"Luna," he called out, before he knew what he was doing.

She spun, her hair fanning around, looking like pale gold as she turned to look at him. "Yes?" she asked politely.

Severus felt a flush creep up his cheek. "I was going to Diagon Alley, I was wondering... that is if you wanted... or had time..."

"To go with you?" she asked, smiling slightly as she tilted her head to gaze at him. Severus shut his mouth and averted his gaze as he nodded. Why was he blithering like a stupid teenager? "I'd love to."

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please review. Sorry for the wait, been busy.**


	27. Summer Rain

_May 31, 2011 Prompt: Water_

_**XXVII. Summer Rain**_

They were walking in silence.

His head was still spinning from the days events. He felt dizzy, almost drunk. 

She had just showed up on his doorstep. She'd agreed to the trip to Diagon Alley with him. Said she'd love to. Severus tried not to think about that too much.

The day had passed, as if he had lapsed into a dream. Someone else's dream, because his were never warm, nor content. As this day had been. All because of Luna, he suspected.

He found her company enjoyable. And she didn't seem to mind all the time they spent in the Apothecary, nor in the bookstore. Rather, she seemed to enjoy herself, and she was rather engaging company.

But now it was done. They were making their way back through Diagon Alley, when they had to stop.

Luna had run into George Weasley. Severus had the mind to grit his teeth through the entire encounter, that is until Angelina Johnson stepped up next to George and took his arm in hers. They were exiting his joke shop.

Apparently the two were now dating. George had the grace to at least seem abashed by it. Severus assumed for Luna's sake, however, Luna didn't seem to care. Or rather she did, but not in the way he thought she would. She rather seemed pleased and happy for the too.

"It's going to rain," Luna chimed from his side suddenly, as they neared the end of the alley. Since the encounter with George, he'd gotten more silent.

Severus absentmindedly looked up and nodded. The skies were indeed gray, but Severus didn't pay them any mind. He was going over the day. He knew that soon they would part, but... he didn't want the day to end. Had he ever had any days like this? Severus couldn't recall even one.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't take note of entering the Three Broomsticks. However, he did note when Luna took his arm. He felt the brief squeezing of his lungs and lack of air. The change of destination was the only thing to tell him that it was not Luna's touch, but rather apparating that made him so breathless.

And then suddenly he was drenched. Luna had landed them by a little dirty river. However, that was not the reason he was wet. This water was falling from the sky. Looking up, he realized that it was raining rather heavily near Spinner's End.

Looking next to him, he noted that Luna was still holding onto his arm. However, she was looking up towards the sky. Though, her eyes were closed, so he supposed she wasn't really looking. Her hair was already drenched. Briefly, he wondered why she was smiling.

Severus had never much liked the rain. He hated feeling his wetted clothes, pressed against his body and weighing on him. He loathed the feel of his hair getting plastered at his face.

However, he reflected, on Luna it rather looked good. Her skin looked pearly and misted. The short summer dress, in pale blue that she wore, was getting plastered to her skin. It outlined her slim figure.

Clearing his throat, Severus forced himself to look away. "We should get out of the rain," he commented, walking away. Being as she was holding his arm, it was rather awkward. He felt as though he were leading her away, though in a rather unorthodox manner, as he was not holding her, but she him. She would really be holding him back if she hadn't moved along with him.

"Why?" Luna asked, as she stepped up beside him as they climbed out of the river bank.

"We could get sick," he replied, internally groaning as he felt like he were talking to a small child.

"Well I suppose its the sensible thing to do," Luna replied with a sigh as she started skipping alongside him. Severus looked towards the sky for a moment, wondering why the girl liked to skip. Shooting a glance at her, he could feel heat rising uncomfortable up his neck and to his cheeks at the sight of the hem of her dress riding up with every bounce. Severus decided then that summer was a most inconvenient season. "But the rain is so much fun."

Severus decided not to respond and quickened his stride. Unfortunately, Luna didn't seem in a great hurry as she started to skip at a slower pace and add twirls as she did so. When he stopped at his front door and turned to look at her, he was just in time to catch her as she crashed into him and pushed him against his closed door, due to an ill conceived twirl; or perhaps she had finally gotten dizzy.

"Luna," he hissed in annoyance as he held her shoulders in his hands. Rather pointless as the rest of her body was resting against his rather heavily. Severus grit his teeth as he looked down the girl, however, whatever vexation he felt with her for spinning around till she was dizzy evaporated at the sight of her.

Her eyes were positively gleaming. Her cheeks were like pale roses and her breath was shallow, her chest heaving. Due to rain, his eyes were drawn to the small mounds. Her creamy skin shone and he could see a drop or water slide over a small mound and dive beneath the neckline of her dress.

"I'm sorry," she murmured breathlessly as she leant her forehead against his chest.

Severus could feel his own breath coming shallowly as he looked down at the top of her head. Her hair was wet and fell heavily about her thin shoulders. His heart was beating so quickly, he was sure she much feel it fluttering against her cheek as she turned her head.

He wasn't sure how it happened or who made the move. She had just looked up. Her lips looked like ripe berries. He was conscious of staring at them. They were so close he could feel her breath on his wet skin. He felt hot, and the rain was cool on his skin, making him feel somewhat feverish.

And then his eyes were closed and her lips were pressed against his. Full, and soft and so inviting. They were moving languidly against his and all he could do was follow.

His hands slipped, and his arms moved to wrap around her thin waist. They moved of their own accord to press her body even closer to his, pulling her up as well so that he could get more of her mouth as his head ducked lower. Small hands buried themselves inside his hair, even pushing his face fiercely against hers.

And then he felt it. Something hot, and wet, tracing the seam of his lip. Groaning, he opened his mouth and her tongue slipped inside. She only touched his and retreated, calling him to chase. And Severus didn't know how he could help not doing so. It was all he could do, to not fall apart; to hold on.

**TBC...**

**A/n: **Please Review! Also for next chapter bear in mind this is rated M. Not that its particularly graphic.


	28. On Fire

_June 1, 2011 Prompt: Fire_

_**XXVIII. On Fire**_

Her passion was like a fire, that consumed everything around her.

He lost sense of time and the world, pressed against the door, with her body pressed tightly against him, kissing him senseless. The rain continued to patter down on them hard, cooling their immensely heated skin.

"Inside," she whispered, when she managed to pull her lips away from him enough to speak. Severus merely nodded. He didn't recall how he managed as his lips returned to hers and continued their passionate kiss. However, soon after they had stumbled through the door and closed it behind them, their lips locked the whole time.

And then her hands were at his robes, shoving them off his shoulders.

Even through the daze, Severus furrowed his brow at managed to pull away. However, her lips found their way to his neck, where she peppered kisses and licked the rain and sweat off his skin. Severus could hardly think as she did this. He felt as of the blood in his veins were on fire and burning under his skin.

"What... are you... doing?" he asked between pants when he felt her hand, those long nimble fingers of hers, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Undressing you," she replied, and he could hear the smile in her voice. Soon she had his shirt off as well. Severus hissed when he felt her cool hands on his hot skin. They skinned over his side and found purchase on his back as she moved her kisses to his chest.

"Why?" he asked, before groaning as he felt her lick around the turgid skin of a nipple. It seemed odd to him, but considering this was Luna...

"Do you plan of speaking the whole time?" Luna asked, giggling before she nipped at the skin of his pectoral, causing him to groan.

"Upstairs," he managed to say.

"I thought you'd never ask," Luna replied, wrapping her arms around him as she hopped up and wrapped her legs around his hips. Severus groaned as he came in contact with her underside as he wedged his hands under her thighs to support her frame. Though she was slim and petite, he didn't want her to fall.

Her lips were on him again as he blindly made his way through the room and banged open a bookcase before steadily climbing the stairs. It seemed to him like an eternity before he got her to his bedroom and laid her on his bed.

He watched in a daze of lust as she sat up and grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled up. He had been in the process of removing his trousers when she did it, and stopped dead.

It appeared that Luna wore no under things. And as she wore slip on shoes which she'd slipped off at an unbeknownst time to him, she was naked as the day she was born; sitting on his bed.

He stood there, staring long at every inch of pale skin to her. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as his eyes traced her propped up legs, to her milky thighs, to the thatch of soft blonde curls that covered mound.

He felt his arousal twitch at the sight. Moving his eyes further up, he skimmed over her flat stomach and perfect bellybutton to her chest. Though Luna was somewhat flat, her breast were perky and topped with dusty-pink nipples.

When Severus made no further attempt at moving, Luna got up on her knees and moved to the edge of the bed.

When her lips once more found his and resumed their searing, all-consuming kiss, the entire world slipped away. Every thought of how wrong and improper slipped away from his mind. Every question on what this meant, disappeared. All there was, was Luna, her delectable skin, and his own heated body's call to be joined to hers.

Severus spent what felt like the whole night becoming acquainted with every inch of Luna, every centimeter of her soft, milky skin. He wanted to commit it all to memory. How her body felt beneath his,, how her legs felt wrapped around his waist, how her skin smelled like summer rain, grass and wild-flowers and how her hair smelled like honey.

He loved the feel of her walls wrapped tightly around him, and the way she moaned every time he sunk deep inside her. He loved hearing her scream his name, Severus, every time she orgasmed and the sot mewling sounds she made in between every orgasm.

Long into the early hours of morning, he worshipped her body. He couldn't get enough of Luna, nor wanted to stop. He feared this would be the only night in which he could call her his, and that he'd ever be able to hold her again, and so he couldn't stop.

However, he was thirty-eight. His body simply could not keep up with a girl twenty years his junior.

He didn't notice, when sleep finally claimed him. But when he woke at midday, it was only to the bitter realization that he was alone. Luna, and any trace of her, was gone.

**TBC...**

**A/n: Please Review! **


	29. Always

_June 2, 2011 Prompt: "I chose you."_

_**XXIX: Always**_

Severus was very much of mind, to believe that it was just a dream. That Luna hadn't really been there. That she hadn't really laid in his arms for hours on end. Nor that her beautiful, lithe body had been his, at least for the length of the night.

It was simply not possible; not in this or any other universe. He tried to convince himself that it was simply a dream; a wonderful dream which of course, had now come to an end.

However, waking in the nude was rather strange. Severus never did sleep nude.

What really cemented the fact that it was no dream, was the blasted summer cold he suddenly caught from being drenched the previous day.

Officially, for the following couple days, Severus was in hell. Not only could he not breathe and feel his breathing pipes utterly stuffed up from nose to lung, but his sentiments were in a hideous uproar.

He had not dreamt of Luna. The god of dreams was never so generous with Severus when it came to his dreams. Luna had really been there, in his bed, with him, whimpering and mewling and moaning and gasping under his ministrations.

But as wonderful as this was, to know that he had slept with Luna, been able to make love to her till his body's utter exhaustion, there was still the dreadful fact that she had just gone. Gone, disappeared, without even so much as a note for explanation. He supposed he really should've known that would happen, Luna was quite ethereal.

However, this time, Severus couldn't sit idly by. And so as soon as he recovered from his cold, he found himself standing outside the Lovegood residence, partially regretting his decision.

Squelching down on his fluttering stomach and screwing up all his courage, Severus raised his fist. Unintentionally, he pounded on the door, which was opened a moment later by a very harried Xenophilius Lovegood, clutching at his heart and starting at him wildly. Severus felt heat creeping up his neck. "My pardons," he was quick to say. "I'm Severus Snape. I... I'd like to see, Miss Lovegood. is she here?"

For moment, the man clutched the door frame and looked feverish before closing his eyes tight and shaking his head. He seemed to be muttering something under his breath, but Severus couldn't hear what that was. Severus was seriously beginning to doubt that he should have come at all when the man suddenly looked at him, with slightly wary eyes and stepped aside.

"She's upstairs, painting her room," he replied in a shaking voice.

Severus nodded. Being as he spent a couple weeks repairing the Lovegood home, Severus knew his way around. Making his way up the spiral stairs, he felt his heart begin to increase in tempo. By the time she reached her bedroom threshold, he felt awash with doubts. However, he reasoned, he had nothing to lose. After all, Luna wasn't his.

Standing there, he found his his stomach flip at the sight of her. She was sitting, cross legged on the floor with a white peasant skirt and a blue t-shirt. Her hair today was braided in a loose and haphazard plait that fell down her back.

Strewn around her were various jars full of water, some of them grey and murky, others pink or blue, while others were clear. Along with the various jars, there were tubes of paint and various rags. Belatedly, Severus noted that there were drops of paint on Luna's skirt and the Daily Prophets laid on the ground to catch stray drops, while in her hands she held a palette and paint brush.

"Hello Professor, would you like to paint with me?" she asked, not turning to look at him. For a moment, Severus wondered how she knew that he was there, as she leaned in to inspect the wall that she was painting. The section she was working on was for the most part, blocked from his view and he felt a twinge inside him to hear her refer to him by his formal title once more. That night, she had said his name, and Severus was sure he'd never heard it spoken in such a lovely way.

Clearing his throat, he pushed that away and tried to ignore the endearing way she looked, sitting there with spatters of paint on her. "No," he said darkly, as he recalled how many times he had caught her the previous year, painting. In that time, it had been such a dangerous thing to do. But that felt like it was another life time ago. For a moment, he saw Luna's shoulders sag and he hastily went on to say that he had no skill at painting.

At which, Luna turned from where she sat, and looked at him and smiled. "I could teach you," she said, looking up at him with her blue sapphire eyes. "And you could teach me how to fly," she smiled. Severus felt a heavy weight pressing on his chest as he looked at her, smiling at him so radiantly, and knowing he would miss that if he were never able to see it again.

"Damn it, Luna... you can't just leave without saying anything," Severus suddenly hissed through clenched teeth, very much aware her father was somewhere nearby and considering he was closer to the man's age than Luna's...

Besides he needed to get it out, before he backed out for fear that if he told her he would chase her away. But he couldn't do that. He needed to straighten this out. Not knowing, it would drive him crazy. He wanted at last, something stable in his life, something he could hold onto and call his. And if Luna couldn't give him that... then he was just setting himself up for greater pain.

Luna turned away at this, and turned her attention back to her painting and got back to work. "I thought it might be better that way," she replied so low that he almost missed it.

"Better for who?" he demanded.

"Well... it seems after sex, men usually want to run away as fast as possible. When its morning, these affairs are just all the more awkward. I thought I'd spare you," Luna replied with a shrug in her sing-song voice.

Somehow, that made his heart break all the more. Suddenly he knew why she did it. It wasn't because she regretted it and wanted to get away from him as fast as possible. She left to protect herself. She thought that in the light of day, or in the aftermath of spent passion, that he would regret sleeping with her.

For a moment, Severus wanted to snap at her and tell her she was wrong. But she wasn't entirely. He knew plenty of men like that. There were too many to count. And for every man that would stay in the morning, and want to curl up with the woman who they'd just tried with their all too please, there were fifty or more that wanted to get away and move on to the next.

"I'm not like that Luna," Severus said through gritted teeth, trying to keep his voice even.

"I know, you're not like other men. You're special," she said, and he could hear a hint of a smile on her voice as she continued to speak to him.

"Then why-" Severus trailed off, frustration entering his voice.

Luna put her painting supplies down on the ground before standing and walking over to her bed and taking a seat on it. Her bed was covered in a dark purple comforter with golden swirls embroidered on it, along with stars that were charmed to twinkle.

"Because," she stated, turning her gaze to slowly look out her window. "You can be quite unyielding. I wasn't sure if you were ready to allow yourself to move on from the past. Or if you still wanted to cling to your love for her," she said.

The room was suddenly filled with stillness and silence. Severus felt paralyzed, he knew what she was referring to. The whole damn wizarding world knew of his unrequited love for Lily Potter nee Evans.

For her part Luna remained sitting still as a statue, her gaze captured by something outside the window. Or perhaps she wasn't even looking out, but looking at something within herself.

For a moment, Severus didn't want to think about that. Lily and her memory had ruled such a great part of his life, that just at this moment he didn't want to think about her. He just wanted Luna and something real with her. So instead, he found himself staring at Luna, and the unflinching way she stated uncomfortable truths. It was... disconcerting, but also refreshing.

However, he knew it was something that he had to take into consideration. It wasn't fair to Luna; it wasn't fair to wish to tie her down, while he lived in love with a ghost.

But things had changed. Luna was no longer an escape from his memories. Severus wasn't sure when that had changed, and he wasn't certain if he had feelings for her what those feelings were. However, he did know that the idea of being without her scared the hell out of him. And he knew that life without her now would be like a world without colors; a life without sense, or happiness, or light.

But that seemed selfish to him.

"You'll aways love Harry's mother and I'm fine with that," Luna said, turning her eyes to him slowly and offering a small smile. "But you've only ever opened your heart to her. There are room in our hearts for so many people... but I don't know if you'll allow yourself to do that," Luna said with a tinge of sadness in her unique voice, slowly getting to her feet. "But I'm not asking you for anything Severus. I'm fine with being just your friend," she said before kneeling back at her wall and continuing to paint.

"I want more than that," Severus muttered lowly. So low, he wasn't sure he heard him. A part of him wished she wouldn't, while a greater part of him hoped she would. Luna didn't stop painting, as she turned what he said over in her mind.

Luna turned and looked at him, with a mildly questioning expression. "And what is more?"

Severus felt his color changing. The heat coursing up his neck was red-hot. "See you on a regular basis," he replied softly and through gritted teeth. "To wake and for you to be still be there in the morning. I want the discomfort your company usually provides... I just want you, Luna. I think... I chose you... set you apart from everyone else, long before I was aware of it," he mumbled in a rush, knowing his face was in all likelihood tomato-red.

Luna cracked a sudden smile at him. "Well... you can be quite slow on the uptake sometimes," she stated teasingly.

Severus felt himself flush further, but couldn't help cracking a smile and his heart from fluttering at the way she was looking at him. Striding over, he crouched near her and stared at her intensely. "Luna, I-"

Luna leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, before pulling away and smiling at his startled look. "You talk too much, Severus," she stated, before pressing an extra brush in her hand. "Now come and paint the lilies with me."

_**TBC...**_

**A/N: **Next chapter is the last! Hope you enjoyed this one. And as always please Review!


	30. The Only Exception

_**XXX. The Only Exception**_

It took Severus years to realize that he was in love with Luna Lovegood.

He didn't think that he could reasonably be blamed for that. After all, he was rather emotionally out of touch with himself, and his life at the time had been a mess. A catastrophic mess, with his feelings all entangled in the past.

Though from early on, he knew that he could no longer live without Luna; a fact Luna would not accept. However, that did not make life with Luna easy. Nor did her patience, which he knew through much trial was not infinite, make things run smoother. Although, he supposed it did help a lot. Or else Luna would have never even considered being with him.

But she had proven true to her promise to always be there for him. And she had proven a more loyal companion than he could ever have dreamed or dared hope for. She stuck around, through every ill-tempered tantrum, through every self-loathing rant... always there to hold his hand and calm his spirit.

Life with Luna was often a surreal dream that he could never get used to.

There were times he feared his sleep, or to wake, and find that it was all a dream and like that first morning after they made love, that she would be gone; gone like she had never been there in the first place. But on those mornings, all he had to do was tighten his arms to reassure himself of her presence curled under his arm with her back pressed to him. She was there, almost every morning. And when she was not, there was a note explaining her absence. Usually an errand she had to run.

Severus wasn't sure he would ever get over having Luna in his life, though at times he forgot how important she had become to him. Usually when he allowed himself to wallow in self-pity or in the never forgotten, unrequited love he had for Lily. But those moments became fewer as the years progressed and Luna became more important than anything else.

It wasn't until their fifth year anniversary that he realized he was in love with her, not that either of them had been keeping tabs on anniversaries. Perhaps that was the reason why it came as such a shock to him that it had been five years. Being with Luna distorted all sense of time, and while sometimes his shortcomings made the relationship seem like time was passing slowly, at all other times it was like a blink of an eye.

Actually, he probably would have realized it had been five years, were it not for the damn Potter wedding to the youngest Weasley. Luna had of course been invited and saw fit to drag him along. It was during the reception, when he was sitting uncomfortably between Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom that the realization came; Luna being Ginny's maid of honor was sitting at the bride and groom table along with a few others.

However, his realization came not by any sudden epiphany of his own; it was thanks to Dean Thomas, asking him how long and Luna were together, and saying he guessed it had to be about five years, since the end of the war.

The realization floored Severus. He never imagined his life beyond Lily. Never imagined he'd ever care for another woman, nor predict that even if he did, that it would work out. Much less be going strong after five years.

For the rest of the evening, Severus gave himself over to his thoughts which revolved around Luna and her presence in his life. He tried to ignore the fact, as always he did, that she was about twenty years his junior, and that he was old enough to be her father, really. However, he'd learned long ago that Luna had always been wise beyond her years. Her eyes sometimes made him feel that she was older than time itself.

Besides, Severus was well aware that he had questionable morals. It was what enabled him to be such a good spy. Though there were those that still looked at him like he was a wretched and dishonorable man, he knew better. Or rather Luna did, as she seemed to think he was a good man and far be it for him to argue her logic because there was no winning there. However, he was not so stupid to do the honorable thing and give up the only person in s hie life that made him happy because she was so much younger than him.

When Luna came to collect him later that evening, she had been all smiles. And he supposed she had some glasses of wine, because wine was the only thing other than him in bed, that could make her cheeks that flushed. "Race you home," she said with a smile.

Severus couldn't help smiling at her in turn as he stood to go with her. Soon as they were outside with wands in their hands, they took off. The summer breeze and the darkness of the night whizzing by them, but Severus hardly cared as he trailed like smoke through the sky, while Luna zoomed and swirled around him like a shooting star. Sometimes, she came so close to him, he felt her hair, and could smell its honey scent.

She made him feel so young and light-hearted, like all his past had melted away and he was reborn someone else; someone who could be happy; someone that was genuinely, resplendently happy.

It was in that moment he knew, or realized what he had know all along, that there was no living without Luna there beside him.

She had always been the exception.

She was the only student who never feared him. The only students he couldn't faze in any way. She had been the only person to bother to really look at him, the only person to believe in him, the only person to care. The only person to make her way through every barrier, the only one to make her way through to his heart, without him being even conscious of it.

And Severus knew, she would be the only woman he'd never be able to live without.

He had managed to live without Lily. But Luna was something else. It actually scared the hell out of him. And Severus couldn't remember the last time he was afraid of anything.

When they landed outside Spinners End, Luna turned to him with a triumphant smile. "I win," she said, her voice like bells as Severus strode up to her and startled her by suddenly kissing her, like it was the first time. When he pulled away Luna looked up at him, breathless and questioning. Not that she was not used to his passions. Severus, contrary to belief, was a very passionate man. Any fool could see that.

"Marry me, Luna," he stated bluntly. He really had no artifice with words when it came to feelings and emotions. However, the pleading and slight fear was evident in his voice.

Luna, through her haze, smiled blearily. "I think most people usually do that before they move in with each other," she pointed out. She had already been living with him for several months. A fact that was evident by several murals around the house. Though, Severus thanked merlin that they were a bit more sedate than what was usual for Luna.

"We're not most people," he pointed out calmly, though his stomach was clenching so painfully he feared it would break him in half.

Luna smiled at his unfailing logic. "Do I get to have the wedding my way?"

"You can have it anyway you want," he replied, feeling his heart rate increase as hope swelled up inside.

"Ok then, lets get married," she said with a smile. Severus kissed her soundly to hide the relief he felt.

A month later, on the full moon, they had a small beach wedding. The ceremony was carried out in the dead of night, when the moon was at its highest in the sky. The night was clear and full of stars, and the waves rolled almost soundlessly against the beach.

Luna was barefoot and wore a light, silver summer dress that barely fell to her knees. Her hair was plaited into a long braid, with fresh dandelions braided into her hair.

The only people there, other than the bride and groom, and the officiator, were Luna's father, Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter. However, Severus had eyes only for Luna. He didn't care about anything else.

The ceremony was relatively short, though to Severus it felt like a lifetime before he was able to hear the words he most wanted to hear from Luna. And then it was his words to repeat, of which he was all to eager to say to unite his life with Luna's for all the world to know she was his. And then they sealed with a kiss.

_**~Fin~**_

**A/n:** Hope the ending was satisfactory. I want to thank everyone who read this story and reviewed. Every review was precious and appreciated. I am glad so many people liked this story, being as Luna/Snape are such an oddball couple, but that's why I love them so much and I'm sure you all agree.

As always, Please Review!


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